Senior Fall and Injury Prevention

All of us will one day reach senior citizen status and be designated an older adult. Some older adults suffer from injuries caused by slips and falls. Slips and falls happen. The result of those falls is rising medical bills, fear of ordinary activity, and loss of independence. In this article, we will discuss the impact of a slip and fall on an older adult.

Why do some seniors fall or slip?

Older adults are either active or inactive. The active member of the senior community will walk, work, get in and out of chairs, or take an exercise class. But their bodies do not always respond the way liked by the individual. For the inactive member of the senior community, the slip and fall causes could be illness, injury before the fall, or the fall itself. Ways to treat the seniors following the fall and other ways to prevent the fall from repeating are discussed later in the article.

General information about injuries of seniors

Some additional information regarding the cause of why seniors fall is indicated in the following statistics. In the whole of United States falls in the 65+ population totals 27.4%.  Connecticut was lower than the average with 20.0-26% caused by falls. In 2020 95% of falls resulted in hip fractures whereas in 2021 the number dropped by 5%. In 2020 50% of falls caused brain traumatic injuries whereas that number increased by 1% in 2021. Specifically, in abled-bodied seniors injuries accounted for 66.5% of all health concerns in 2021 in which some percentage was senior falls. Falls in seniors who were excessively drinking increased by 7.7%. Injuries to seniors who were inactive due to cardiovascular issues, cancer, obesity among other reasons including falls have a rate of 31%. Among inactive women the fall rate is 22.7%. Inactivity is one of the most common causes for slip and fall injuries in the older community. Seniors who were active independently have a lower risk of falls at about 58.3%. In 2016 up to 36% of falls among the elderly occurred due to unstable stairs or imbalance of the older person on the stairs both inside and outside the home.

Injuries caused by the home

A senior may experience dizziness or lightheadedness. The eyesight could be impaired, so seniors do not see obstructions in their sight-path. Medication taken by seniors could also cause a slip and fall. Some drugs cause the following symptoms: loss of appetite, nausea, vertigo, numbness or tingling, dehydration, pneumonia, pressure sores. as well as a few other things. All combined can cause seniors injuries while in their house. Statistics support this specifically when you hear 80% of seniors injure themselves due to falls in the bathroom. Breakdowns of other areas where falls occur in the house are as follows: 31% occur in the living room, 30% are in the bedroom and 19% of falls occur in the kitchen.

Injuries caused outside the home

Outside the home, the dangers are just as multiple. Some are unforeseen even by looking around you. A senior could walk down the stairs that could be uneven, missing parts, or rickety and unstable with no railing. Once down the stairs, the sidewalk is now their nemesis with an uneven sidewalk, slick sidewalks from puddles, all-cause them to fall. And that is directly outside your home. The dangers are multiple.

If a senior fall, what does happen at the physician’s office?

Since falls are one of the reasons that seniors are injured or die from your treatment and handling the subsequent time after can prevent it from happening again. You first take your senior to the doctor. Second, determine the cause of the fall by looking at the factors such as poor health, poor fitness, problem medications, chronic disease, surgical procedures, environmental and behavioral hazards. Diagnostic tests may help find the why of the fall. Using these two factors, plus observation of the patient doing what was happening at the time the doctor can discuss the diagnosis and any subsequent treatment of the older adult.

Treatment of a slip and fall?

Senior care is based on the injury and their surroundings. If the patient needs medication explain what the medication is for, what it does, what to look out for along with the name of the medication. If the patient needs to have their home refitted for their safe inform them. Exercise such as Tai Chi, walking in the local area in groups, and proper medication help. Specifically, up to 40% of falls in seniors is prevented if they exercise. Another preventative measure and treatment are to have the senior regularly assessed for issues that caused the fall and to ascertain if there are new concerns to worry about at a doctor or a home health aide visit.  Senior home care is covered in another section.

How to safety check the inside of the home

Senior home care is like baby-proofing your house. Put light switches at either end of the hallways and stairwells that are touch operated including nightlights in the hallways and bathrooms for use at night. If the senior must go to the bathroom at night place a potty next to the bed within easy reach. Otherwise, raise the seat to help alleviate the danger. Make sure chair heights enable easier sitting and standing for the senior. Placing the furniture in the lines of sight and ensuring walkways are not obstructed as to not cause the senior injury. But dangers outside of the furniture exist. Inside the kitchen place, all the frequently used items are in lower cabinets within easy reach of the senior.

What risk prevention can be practiced outside the home?

Preventing falls from happening outside the home is just as important. On the steps leading into the house place reflective color strips to light the steps, including the path towards the house. Make sure that steps are sturdy, free from obstruction with no breaks, and railings are secure. Have the lighting outside the house be bright enough to help navigate the pathway in the dark hours of the night.

What does care after the senior fall constitute?

After-care for a fall is available. They make up a huge portion of the community that is hardest hit when it comes to not being able to afford the services. Senior discounts help them get the services on the following:

1. Senior rides
2. Senior exercises and senior exercise class
3. Senior discounts
4. Senior housing

There are safety devices to assist the senior both inside and outside the home in danger of falling.  Walkers and canes are available. Medical alert bracelets and necklaces are available as well. Not only that but you can have medical alarms for the senior from companies such as Medical Alarm, Bay Medical Alarm and Medical Guardian.  It is an alarm system that goes with you around your neck and inside your home which detects if you fall.  The alarm has GPS to tell the company where you are in case you don’t know or are out cold.  Seniors can have safety toilet seats which are raised above the toilet, so they don’t have to sit too far down and possibly injure themselves when attempting to get up to a standing position. In conclusion, seniors who need help and education about falling, prevention, and home care have resources at their fingertips for them to use. Senior living can be safer for them indeed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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