Dwelling Older Adults: A Case Study
Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Every 18 seconds, an older adult is in the emergency room because of a fall, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That translates into a person 65 or older dying, due to a fall, every 35 minutes, according to the CDC.
Falling in adults 65 and older is a complex problem confronting public health, the health care system and families. Statistics alone do not begin to measure the pain, suffering and loss of independence that are experienced by older adults who fall, but according to the CDC, a number of trends highlight the magnitude of the problem:
Falling accounts for 80-95% of hip fractures in older adults,
The rate of fatal falls increase dramatically with age, …show more content…
In 1995, there were 7,700 Americans over age 65 that died as a result of falls.
The risk of falling increases with age. An estimated one-third of Americans over age 65 will suffer falls each year.
Older adults who have fallen previously or who stumble frequently are two to three times more likely to fall within the next year.
Fall-related death rates and hip fracture hospitalization rates are on the rise.
Falls are the cause of a large proportion of fatal traumatic brain injuries among seniors. From 1989 to 1998, the fall-induced traumatic brain injury death rate among people ages 80 and older increased 60%.
Falls are responsible for at least 95% of hip fractures among older adults.
Hip fractures often cause an elderly person to lose functional abilities and develop other health problems. Sometimes hip fractures lead to death.
Why do people fall?
People fall for a variety of reasons. Some people are more prone to falls than others. These people generally have one or more “risk factor” for falls. This means they have a condition or a characteristic that makes them ore likely to fall. The following characteristics significantly increase a person’s risk of …show more content…
What ideas do you have to make this better?
10. Any comments?
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Costs of Falls Among Older Adults. Retrieved 11/15/13 from www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/fallcost.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Hip fractures Among Older Adults. Retrieved 11/15/13 from www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adulthipfx.html
Fuller, G.F. (2000). Falls in the Elderly. American Family Physician 61(7), 2159-2168. Retrieved 11/15/2103 from www.aafp.org/2000/0401/p2159.html
Graafmans, W.C., OOms, M.E., Hofstee, H.M., Bezemer, P.D., Bouter, L.M., & Lips, P. (1996). Falls in the elderly: a prospective study of risk factors and risk profiles. American Journal of Epidemiology, 143(11), 1129-1136.
NIH Senior Health (2013). Falls & Older Adults: Causes and Risk Factors. Retrieved 11/15/2013 from
Every 18 seconds, an older adult is in the emergency room because of a fall, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That translates into a person 65 or older dying, due to a fall, every 35 minutes, according to the CDC.
Falling in adults 65 and older is a complex problem confronting public health, the health care system and families. Statistics alone do not begin to measure the pain, suffering and loss of independence that are experienced by older adults who fall, but according to the CDC, a number of trends highlight the magnitude of the problem:
Falling accounts for 80-95% of hip fractures in older adults,
The rate of fatal falls increase dramatically with age, …show more content…
In 1995, there were 7,700 Americans over age 65 that died as a result of falls.
The risk of falling increases with age. An estimated one-third of Americans over age 65 will suffer falls each year.
Older adults who have fallen previously or who stumble frequently are two to three times more likely to fall within the next year.
Fall-related death rates and hip fracture hospitalization rates are on the rise.
Falls are the cause of a large proportion of fatal traumatic brain injuries among seniors. From 1989 to 1998, the fall-induced traumatic brain injury death rate among people ages 80 and older increased 60%.
Falls are responsible for at least 95% of hip fractures among older adults.
Hip fractures often cause an elderly person to lose functional abilities and develop other health problems. Sometimes hip fractures lead to death.
Why do people fall?
People fall for a variety of reasons. Some people are more prone to falls than others. These people generally have one or more “risk factor” for falls. This means they have a condition or a characteristic that makes them ore likely to fall. The following characteristics significantly increase a person’s risk of …show more content…
What ideas do you have to make this better?
10. Any comments?
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Costs of Falls Among Older Adults. Retrieved 11/15/13 from www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/fallcost.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Hip fractures Among Older Adults. Retrieved 11/15/13 from www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adulthipfx.html
Fuller, G.F. (2000). Falls in the Elderly. American Family Physician 61(7), 2159-2168. Retrieved 11/15/2103 from www.aafp.org/2000/0401/p2159.html
Graafmans, W.C., OOms, M.E., Hofstee, H.M., Bezemer, P.D., Bouter, L.M., & Lips, P. (1996). Falls in the elderly: a prospective study of risk factors and risk profiles. American Journal of Epidemiology, 143(11), 1129-1136.
NIH Senior Health (2013). Falls & Older Adults: Causes and Risk Factors. Retrieved 11/15/2013 from