Every 20 minutes an older adult dies from a fall in the United States.¹
Each year, more than 1.6 million older U.S. adults go to emergency departments for fall-related injuries. Among older adults, falls are the number one cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence and injury deaths². Falls are costly-in dollars and in quality of life.
This week marked the first day of Fall; a great opportunity to offer some falls-related tips for your patients and loved one. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is celebrating the 10th annual Falls Prevention Awareness and sharing resources and reminders for our patients and love ones.
- Be ready: Education is the most important step to being ready to prevent a fall. There are resources online to help older adults understand their risk of falling. They can also enroll in evidence-based falls prevention programs to learn how to address their fear of falling and what they can do to sustain their strength.
- Be steady: Older adults can be steady if they take simple steps to prevent falls. These include talking with a doctor about medications, getting hearing and vision checkups and assessing living spaces for hazards.
- Be balanced: Falls prevention is a team effort that takes a balance of education, preparation and community support. Falls Prevention Awareness Day is an opportunity to take a look at the world around us, be aware of falls hazards, and think about how we can make changes that help our parents, grandparents, aging neighbors, our patients and even ourselves from falls.
Visit the National Council on Aging site for additional resources, trainings, publications, infographics and ways to get connected and involved.
Sources:
- National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-awareness-day/
- NIH Senior Health: https://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/aboutfalls/01.html