MADISON, Wis. -- The recent spat of winter weather is responsible for many ice-covered sidewalks and slippery driveways in southern Wisconsin. The slick conditions are subsequently causing an increased number of people falling and seeking help at the emergency room.

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The treacherous traveling is bringing to light local efforts to prevent falls and highlights the dangers of falling, WISC-TV reported.

Madison area hospitals and clinics are all reporting ice-related injuries on the rise since Saturday's storm. However, falling is the No. 1 reason for injury and death in older adults statewide. Nearly one-third of those who do fall are seriously hurt, and it's happening year-round.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three adults age 65 and older falls each year. By the year 2020, the annual cost of treating fall injuries nationwide will total nearly $55 billion. Studies show the average cost of falling -- for a person age 72 and older -- totals more than $19,000, which includes emergency room, hospital and home health care costs, but not doctors' services.

The health risks associated with falling is leading to more research and more prevention, which is putting Wisconsin on the map as a national leader in fall prevention.

Studies show fall prevention programs can decrease up to half of all falls. Most people who fall, even if they aren't seriously hurt, develop a fear of falling and stop doing the things they ordinarily would.

Exercise is just one of the many things most people Roberta Matzke's age don't do.

"I did not want to become a frail elderly statistic," Matzke said.

The strength that she gains working out has allowed her to keep mowing the grass and shoveling snow, she said.

"You feel so good that you want to continue to move, so you keep looking for things to get up and do or places to go," she said.

Matzke's new lease on life started two years ago in a program called Stepping On. The project was designed to help seniors strengthen their bodies and reduce the risk of falling.

Jill Ballard coordinates the statewide program, which is proven to decrease the number of slips, falls and serious injuries.

"Older adults have a fear of falling," Ballard said. "It can lead to hospitalizations, and of course, nursing homes and things like that where someone if they've fallen, they won't have the ability to get up and exercise and do daily work."

Matzke said that the fear of falling can impede normal activities.

"You get really hesitant about going places that you're not familiar with because you depend on seeing, and we do, too, and we know we don't always see what we should," she said.

Stepping On helps Matzke be more aware of her surroundings and when she's more at risk. Mostly, though the program is keeping her active and changing her life.

"I retired at 57 and the possibility of doing this type of thing at 74 was not what I ever saw in the future," she said.

In addition to exercise, the class teaches participants about products that they can purchase to further reduce the risk of falling.

The price of participating in the program varies depending on the county someone takes it in. The price varies from free to about $20, WISC-TV reported.

Officials said that five ways to reduce the risking of falling are to exercise regularly; improve balance, coordination and muscle tone; review medications as older bodies react differently to medications; check vision as poor eyesight increases the risk of falling; and improving home safety.

For the last two years, a Falls Prevention Task Force has been working to reduce falls in Dane County. The goal of the effort is to reduce fall-related trips to the ER and hospital stays by 10 percent.

Part of the task force's mission includes outreach and information is available to the public by calling the Falls Prevention helpline at 211 from a landline or 608-246-4357 (HELP) from a cell phone. The helpline is available 24 hours a day.