Statistics on Falling and the Elderly *
Falls and fall-related injuries are a critical public health problem for older adults. The National Safety Council estimates that persons over the age of 65 have the highest mortality rate from injuries. Among older adults, fall-related injuries cause more deaths than either pneumonia or diabetes. Falls account for about one-half of the deaths due to injury in the elderly.
Several epidemiological studies have looked at the rate of falls in the elderly at home, in outpatient settings and institutions.
- Among women ages 65 and older, nearly one in three (30 percent) will fall; after age 85, over half of women will suffer a fall.
- For men, the proportion who fall increases from 13 percent in the 65 to 69 age group, to a peak of 31 percent in the 80- to 84-year age group. For those over the age of 85, there is actually a slight decrease in fall rates.
- It appears that for the elderly living at home, one-third to one-half are at an elevated fall risk. Those who are more aged, female, single, divorced or widowed are at a higher risk of falling.
- In the younger, healthier elderly, environmental factors are more important, with stairs and floor obstacles being common causes of falls.
- For the older, frail elderly, falls are often associated with dizziness and syncope (brief loss of consciousness; "passing out"), cardiac and neurologic disease, poor health status and functional disability.
The Complications of Falls
The complications of falls are numerous and certainly significant:
- Fear of falling can be a very real reason for loss of mobility in the elderly. After a few falls and the associated health issues that stem from falls, some people become so frightened and anxious that they will not attempt to stand, even when there is adequate help and support. Fractures of the hip or forearm are common injuries from falls.
- Hip fractures carry high morbidity (health problems related to a disease or condition) because of prolonged immobility, surgical risks and functional disability, possibly related to hospitalization.
- Hypothermia, dehydration, bronchial pneumonia and pressure damage to the skin are all possible complications resulting from exposure in patients who are unable to get up once they have fallen. In these situations, a Personal Emergency Response System (“PERS”), such as Direct Link (http://www.directlink911.com), can be a life saver.
- A PERS can also ease some of the fear of falling, keeping the elderly more mobile, confident, and healthier, since increased activity results in reduced muscle atrophy.
- Statistics prove that those individuals who wear a PERS pendant are able to stay independent SIX YEARS LONGER than those who do not. Too many people lie waiting for help for hours or worse, days, and many of the above complications can be avoided with a PERS.
- Older persons are likely to fall for several reasons. The environment can be particularly dangerous as one ages. Steps, throw rugs and poor lighting can all lead to increased falling when combined with physical instability that may come with the aging process. Often, seniors are hesitant to throw things away, and their possessions can become trip hazards.
Physical instability has many causes in the elderly
- Osteoarthritis, muscle wasting and slowed reflexes are very common.
- Poor vision from cataracts or macular degeneration.
- Postural hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure) also contributes to unsteadiness.
- Cognitive impairment or dementia can cause behaviors which lead to falls.
- Increased urine frequency can cause seniors to have disrupted sleep patterns. Fatigue and walking/transferring in the darkness can result in falls.
Finding the Cause of a Fall
A person who has fallen will be asked to give the care provider:
- An exact description of the accident and how they were feeling before it happened.
- A complete drug history and medications taken recently.
- If the fall was a recent one, is there some underlying disease or new drug that may be the cause?
- If falling is an ongoing problem, could this be related to repeated accidental falls or an underlying health problem?
Fall Prevention Strategies
The risk of falls may be greatly reduced if the underlying cause can be determined and treated. Therapists, nurses, caregivers and family members can help the elderly person who has fallen regain, or maintain, his or her mobility. They can also help lessen the risk of falls by creating a safer living environment and improving awareness of environmental dangers.
For example:
- Using night-lights in hallways, near stairs, and in bathrooms.
- Removing throw rugs and replacing with wall-to-wall carpeting or hardwood floors. Addressing frays in old carpeting.
- Being especially cautious when starting new medications to be certain that it doesn't cause dizziness. If that is a side effect call your health care provider.
- Keeping telephone cords and other wires out of the way where you might trip on them.
- Subscribing to a PERS monitoring system that does not require expensive installations and long term contracts, such as Direct Link.
* Netwellness.org-Consumer Health Information
About Home Helpers and Direct Link
Home Helpers’ caregivers often ease the worries of its clients’ family members by assisting its clients with tasks around the home that could put them at risk for falling. Home Helpers is the region’s premier provider of non-medical caregiving services for seniors, people coping with a lifelong illness or disability, and those recuperating from a recent surgery or hospitalization. We don’t just take care of our clients; we plan for them, using our comprehensive and customized Home Helpers Total Care Plan™. Home Helpers is proactive, not reactive, and offers a flexible, affordable continuum of care that changes as our clients’ needs change. We tailor our care plans to our clients’ unique needs, and tap our extensive network of referral resources relevant to every aspect of care. Direct Link is the Personal Emergency Response System we make available to our clients, which provides 24/7 peace of mind with “Help, at the Touch of a Button”. To learn more about Home Helpers and Direct Link, call us at (877) 464-9090 or visit us at
www.HomeHelpersPhilly.com.