Anyone who falls can get hurt or injured — and falling becomes more serious as you get older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every four older adults in the U.S. suffer a fall each year, with 36 million falls reported per year.
What’s more, people who have fallen once are twice as likely to fall again. Therefore, it’s extremely important to prevent falls in the first place.
What Are Some Reasons Aging Adults Fall?
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that fall fatalities are highest in those over the age of 60. In order to protect our loved ones from serious injury, we need to understand why older people fall in the first place.
Here are some risk factors that can cause falls in aging adults:
Decreasing muscle strength: Muscles lose their tone and strength as we grow older, due to the natural aging process. Exercise can help, but some loss of muscle strength will still occur.
Chronic conditions/impaired health: Four out of every 10 adults in the U.S. have two or more chronic diseases. Conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, and visual impairment increase the risk of falling.
Certain medications: The CDC identifies certain medications that can increase one’s risk of falling. These include psychoactive medications — which are drugs that affect your emotions, mood, and mental processes — like antidepressants, opioids, and benzodiazepines.
Prescription and OTC medications should also be reviewed regularly as they may have side effects — such as dizziness and blurred vision — that can increase the risk of falling.
Skipping checkups: Regular visits to the doctor can help identify health issues that can affect balance. Doctors routinely run tests to determine the effectiveness of current medications and adjust the dosage accordingly.
Hazards in living spaces: Cluttered living spaces with uneven flooring and inadequate lighting can cause aging adults to fall. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to fall-proof your home or your parents’ home.
Wearing certain types of clothing or shoes: Clothes that restrict blood flow or movement can contribute to falls in aging adults. It’s also important to opt for comfort and practicality when it comes to footwear. High heels or laces can cause an aging adult to easily lose their balance.
Drinking too much alcohol: The National Council on Aging cautions against aging adults consuming excessive amounts of alcohol consumption as this can increase their risk of falling. According to the guidelines established by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), healthy older adults who are not on any medications should have no more than seven alcoholic drinks per week.
To learn more, read our article on why aging adults fall.
Can I Tell If My Parent Has Had a Fall Before?
An aging adult who suffers a fall may want to hide this from their loved ones, either due to embarrassment or not wanting their families or caregivers to worry. However, falls can seriously affect the lives of older people, so it’s important to identify signs that may indicate a fall has occurred. Here’s what to look out for:
Bruises, broken bones, or sprains
Head injuries, such as bumps on the scalp or cuts on the face
Poor balance and frequently needing to lean against things or having to ask for help
Displaying reluctance to participate in daily activities
A fear of falling
Shuffling the feet or limping
Loss of mobility
Frequent falls can cause lasting damage to older adults and may be a sign of a condition that needs treatment, such as low blood pressure or poor eyesight. If you suspect that your parent has fallen but they’re reluctant to tell you — or maybe they genuinely can’t remember it happening — be sure that they visit a doctor as soon as possible.
When is a Fall an Emergency? Because aging adults are frailer than those who are younger, any fall requires medical attention. Even if your dad fell and was able to get up by himself again, it’s a good idea to schedule a doctor’s appointment. If, however, your loved one experiences any of the following signs, be sure to seek immediate medical attention: *They can’t get up *It hurts them when you try to move them *There’s a visible injury *They seem disoriented *They’ve become unconscious
What Are the Consequences of Falling?
Falls can have a tremendous impact on the lives of our loved ones. The CDC estimates that 3 million older adults were admitted to emergency departments in 2020 due to fall-related injuries, while an average of $50 billion a year is spent on medical costs caused by falls of aging adults.
The CDC has even developed a fall prevention guide for aging adults. Here are some other potential consequences of falls:
Physical effects: Regardless of your age, a fall can cause pain, discomfort, and injuries that affect your quality of life. Factors like age, chronic illnesses, and decreased strength mean aging adults are more likely than their younger counterparts to experience more severe physical effects when they fall. A fall can lead to chronic pain, walking abnormalities, and bone fractures in aging adults.
Psychological effects: These aspects are sometimes overlooked when an aging adult falls, but an event like a fall can affect an aging loved one on a psychological level, too.
Fear of falling, embarrassment due to needing extra care, and loss of independence can have a profound effect on one’s sense of self-worth.
Social effects: Adults can lose their independence if they are injured badly in a fall. This can, in turn, result in a shift of financial responsibilities and a change in their routine and living arrangements. If an aging loved one relocates and their daily activities change, it can be hard to maintain social connections. Frustration and loneliness can set in as friend circles begin to shrink.
What Should I Do After My Parent Has Had a Fall?
Falls can still happen, no matter how careful you are. One minute you’re carrying a cup of tea, and the next minute you’ve tripped on a loose rug — this could happen to anyone.
But aging adults should take extra care; a fall could have a lasting effect on them. Here’s what to do if your parent has a fall.
Make them feel safe and comfortable
If you are there when the fall happens, do everything you can to ensure your parent feels safe and comfortable. That being said, try to minimize the amount that you move them, as this could cause further injury.
Get help
Once the person is safe, call for help.
If your parent is aging in place or staying in an assisted living community, they may not be able to call for help if they fall and get hurt.
To ensure your mom or dad gets the help they need during an emergency, you may want to consider a medical alert device.
Speak to a doctor
Even if they seem fine, it’s best if an aging adult visits the doctor after a fall.
A medical professional will be able to make an assessment — which typically includes reviewing their medications, taking blood pressure readings, and assessing their balance —and suggest changes that can guard against future falls.
Prevent future falls
If you’re caring for an aging adult, be sure to make fall prevention a priority. Here are some practical recommendations:
Fall-proof the home
Even if you’re there to watch over your mom or dad all day, trips and falls can still happen in cluttered living spaces and poorly-lit areas.
Removing tripping hazards, creating zero threshold entrances, and installing grab bars in key areas — such as a bathroom — are some ways you can make a home safer for aging adults.
Check out our aging-in-place checklist for a comprehensive guide on fall-proofing the home of you or your loved one.
Invest in medical alert devices
For those times when an aging adult falls or needs help urgently, a medical device is worth its weight in gold. A simple touch of the button is all it takes for someone to contact a family member, primary caregiver, or emergency services. Browse and compare our selection of medical alert devices, and see which one is right for your loved one or you.
Where Can I Learn More about Protecting My Parents from Falls?
No matter what precautions you take, falls may become a reality for your parents. LogicMark can help. You can explore the full line of products here, and gain peace of mind that help for your parents is always just a button push away.
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