Is Fall Risk Really a Danger for Your Senior Loved One?

By Marlene Diaz | April 27, 2017 |

In your role as a family caregiver, understanding the most serious risks that your senior parent faces is a critical element of keeping them as safe and healthy as possible throughout their later years. One of the most pressing risks that seniors face is fall risk. Understanding this risk and how it can truly impact your loved one can help you to make meaningful changes in your care routine that will help your parent to avoid these falls and prevent the potentially catastrophic injuries that can result due to them.

Senior Care Issaquah WA – Is Fall Risk Really a Danger for Your Senior Loved One?

Some things that you should know about fall risk among seniors include:

• Approximately every 11 minutes throughout the United States, an older adult must seek care in the emergency room due to a fall.

• Approximately every 19 minutes throughout the United States, an older adult dies as a result of a fall.

• Trauma is the fifth leading cause of death among senior adults, and falls are the leading cause of this type of fatal trauma.

• Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal trauma that leads to hospital admissions among senior adults in the United States.

• Approximately 9,500 older adults in the nation die each year as a result of falls.

• Falls cause 70 percent of accidental deaths among senior adults over the age of 74.

• Elderly adults make up only 12 percent of the total population of the United States but account for 75 percent of the fall-related deaths throughout the country each year.

• 24 percent of emergency room visits among elderly adults are related to falls.

• Between 5 and 15 percent of falls among senior adults result in severe injury such as fractured hips and head injuries.

• More than 90 percent of hip fractures occur as a result of a fall, and those seniors who suffer a hip fracture are at twice the risk of death within the next year.

If you are concerned about your senior parent’s safety when you are not able to be with them or believe that they would benefit from more diversified care, starting senior home care for them might be the ideal solution. A senior home care provider can be with your aging loved one on a schedule that is specifically customized to them, meaning that they will get everything that they need according to their challenges and limitations, as well as the amount of care that you are able to give to them.

For those who are dealing with issues that might increase their fall risk, this can be particularly beneficial. An in-home senior care provider can offer your parent physical support and assistance that can help them to maintain an active, engaged, and largely independent lifestyle while also helping to prevent serious falls that can lead to devastating injuries and complications. This can give you confidence that your parent can maintain a higher quality of life as they age in place.

Sources: http://betterhealthwhileaging.net/why-aging-adults-fall/
https://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/causesandriskfactors/01.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0401/p2159.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Issaquah WA, contact the caring staff at Hospitality Home Care today. Call us at (206) 966-6552.

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Marlene Diaz

Care Supervisor at Hospitality Home Care

Marlene brings to Hospitality Home Care's Care Supervisor Team an unprecedented level of passion for caring for others and a wealth of knowledge and understanding in the care services field. Marlene has worked in the healthcare field for more than 15 years in a variety of settings including, adult family home administration, home care HR supervising and working with specialty populations including dementia, mental health and developmental disabilities. Throughout this time Marlene has also maintained her caregiver credentials that she obtained as a teenager because, while her knowledge is best served helping to train caregivers and assist families to get the care they need, her heart is most fulfilled when she is providing care to others. When she is not in the office, you will most likely find Marlene caring for her family, or spending time with her friends.