We have seen a marked increase in the number of patients who are tripping and/or falling. The older age groups are not the only ones affected: we are seeing patients in their 50s too!
- Falls can happen anytime and anywhere to people of any age
- As people get older the number of falls and severity of injury resulting from falls increases
- Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in people age 65 and older
- Common injuries due to falls include:
- Head injuries
- Shoulder and forearm fractures
- Spinal fractures
- Pelvic fractures
- Hip fractures (90% are caused by falls. ¾ occur in women)
- Each year, one out of 3 adults age 65 and older falls.
- Every 13 seconds, on average, an older adult is taken to an emergency department in the USA because of a fall-related injury.
- Every 24 minutes one of them dies as a result of a fall
- Hospitalisations for fall-related injury have higher costs than other illnesses
You don’t have to be a statistic. There are many things which you can do to change your environment and improve your balance and strength to avoid falling.
We regularly present a very informative talk on Preventing Falls. Please phone Amy 011-849-772 6or 083-457-7789 to enquire about our next talk, which will be held on Tuesday 17th March.
