Anyone could slip and fall for many reasons. It is a regular occurrence for specific demographics, such as children learning to balance and workers facing fall risks while performing their jobs. Fortunately, most falls are mild and require little to no medical attention. However, some people, such as seniors, could be more prone to severe fall injuries.
Fall injuries in elders could have grave repercussions. They tend to have more fragile bones and lack lower body strength, causing severe head trauma or broken bones. An estimated three million elders go to emergency rooms for fall injuries annually.
Also, most cases lead to nasty injuries, such as hip fractures or traumatic brain injuries. These cases might require extensive medical treatments, leading to considerable medical costs. The expenses could be overwhelming, especially if elders need to pay out of pocket. Treatments for fall injuries cost around $50 billion in 2015 alone, with only 75% covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
Elders could have limited financial resources to cover their medical bills. Usually, it is up to them and their family to take measures and avoid preventable falls.
Fall risk factors for seniors
Seniors could sustain fall injuries for various reasons. A combination of risk factors could result in these accidents, including vitamin deficiency, balancing issues, foot pain, medication side effects and obstructions cluttering the home. Fortunately, families could address these factors at home. However, elders could inevitably face these hazards when out in public.
Sometimes, poor design of walkways and roads could lead to slips and falls. Other times, establishments could fail to address unsafe conditions, such as wet floors and damaged facilities.
Recovering from a fall injury
Sadly, elders could suffer more severe consequences from a fall than other age groups because of their age and health condition. One incident might quickly drain their finances, putting them in a tough spot. If someone’s negligence contributed to or caused their accident, they could take legal action to receive compensation and cover their damages.