As senior physical therapy specialists we are super focused on helping our senior patients stay safe. Please make sure that you read this if you concerned about your elderly family members.
You’ve heard the stories. Someone’s grandmother fell and broke a hip. It sounds like it should be not such a big deal, but falls in older people can end up in a death. No, seriously. Here are some statistics on elderly falls:
The risk of falling increases with age. As we age our balance can become an issue.
Elderly women are more likely to fall than men.
When an older person falls, their hospital stay is more likely to be twice as long as an elderly person admitted for a different reason.
One third of all people over the age of 65 will have an injury due to a fall, and two thirds of those who do will fall again within 6 months of the first.
For those over 65, an injury from a fall is the leading cause of death. About 9,500 elderly people die from injuries due to falls each year.
That hip injury that Grandma got from her fall? If she is 65-69, she is one of 200 who did, and 1 in ten if she is over 85. A quarter of those who do break a hip from a fall will die within 6 months of the fall.
The biggest effect of that fall and injury is a loss of independence for seniors. That in and of itself can be what leads to death. Depression and lack of will to go on if they have to be less independent or worse, institutionalized, can lead some to give up.
The biggest cause of falling in seniors is problems with balance, dizziness and vertigo. These issues aren’t just from aging. They can be side effects of medication or due to some other reason. What should give seniors hope is that physical therapy can help significantly before and after a fall. Before a fall physical therapy can help seniors with balance issues and teach them what is the cause of their issue and work on strengthening muscles to help them with coordination and balance. After a fall physical therapy can help them become mobile again and retain their independence.
Don’t let grandma become a statistic. Help her, or yourself, stay fall free and healthy.
