Negosentro| What Causes Elderly People to Fall? (Infographic) |There are differences between the body of a young and old human being. However, the similarity between the two is they are both vulnerable to injuries due to falling. Both age brackets also are susceptible to falling. In the case of younger people, they tend to be vulnerable to falling because of engaging in outdoor activities and sports.
Children and teenagers can fall because of climbing trees and higher structures. On the other hand, older people are more prone to falls than children because of their weaker bodies than when they were younger. Older people are more vulnerable to damage after a fall than younger people because of their bodies.
When young people fall, especially children, they tend to get back up quickly and play for more. On the other hand, senior citizens tend to have severe injuries because their bones are frailer than those of younger people. People aged 65 years and older fall at least once per year, and about 15% fall twice or more per year.
Once an older person falls, there is a considerable chance that the person might develop fear for falling again. This circumstance is dangerous because they might be afraid of doing more activities, which leads to weaker legs. Some studies show the prevalence of medical help and treatment but did not distinguish the types of health treatment.
Yes, preventing falls is a goal if you have elders living with you. However, the best option is preventing falls that cause significant consequences. There may be harsh consequences if a person over sixty falls. Some of these are broken bones, fractures, pain, and even concussions that can cost a lot of medical bills.
Once an older person falls a great distance, there might be physical consequences after every fall, including fracture, open wound, bruise or extravasation of blood, sprain, joint dislocation, brain injury, and strained muscle. In other studies, falling can even cause fractures, joint confusion, and brain injury that can jeopardize a person’s way of living.
Functional decline is also happening to older people who fall. Some people who get injured develop a disability for some time before being able to walk again. Measurements of decline in functional status were based on a validated questionnaire about the degree of difficulty with operational activities like climbing stairs, walking, and even standing up.
There are ways that you can prevent slips and falls from happening. You can take supplements with Vitamin D. If a person takes supplements, you should first ask a doctor if the medicine can cause dizziness. Another step that people can take to prevent falling is having daily activities and exercising to have a healthier body.
There are no controlled studies specifically of exercise to prevent falls, though training has been included as a component of a few undifferentiated multiple risk factor interventions. There are exercises that you can practice so that the damage from falling is greatly minimized when you fall. You can also exercise to have the right balance.
Although there is little epidemiologic evidence linking environmental hazards to the risk of falling, environmental factors remain a promising focus for intervention. Leaving your house with objects that could potentially slip you is a colossal disaster. Another reason for falls is the inability to see clearly. Vision problems may also be a reason.
To prevent falls from happening, older adults should get contacts or eyeglasses, so the chances of falling are decreased. However, going to the cause of falls is the best way to stop them from happening. If you want to know the leading causes of why older people fall, you can check this Euro-American Connections & Homecare infographic.
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