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What makes older people fall? |
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Falls and the injuries they create are a major problem for older people.
Figures from Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing tell us that one in three people aged over 65 fall once per year, with ten per cent of these falls leading to serious injury.
When you add dementia as another factor, the risk of falls and serious injuries skyrockets with 80 per cent of people in dementia specific residential care units falling at least once each year.
So what are the factors that increase the risk of falling among older people?
The Department reveals that many health issues contribute directly to the increased risk of falling, including:
- poor balance
- reduced muscle strength
- dizziness
- reduced eyesight
- continence problems
- some medications
Along with health factors, the Department highlights a number of environmental factors that cause concern, including:
- poor lighting
- slippery or uneven surfaces
- loose mats
- cords across floors
- slippery steps
For people with dementia, the Department warns they are at the greatest risk of falling because dementia brings its own factors such as:
- behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
- reduced monitoring of the environment
- impulsiveness • lack of awareness
The Department refers to things that can “reduce the impact of these issues” and that is where cura1 technology has a vital role to play.
- Michael Burton |
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Fall Prevention Costs Everybody |
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Injury related to falls by older people is a major public health issue.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, it is, “the leading cause of disability, declining quality of life and death in older persons. In as many as 1000 people (aged 65 years and older) die each year from accidental falls in Australia.”
cura1 is devoted to manufacturing and supplying fall prevention products that will help staff and caregivers make inroads in the effort to reduce these numbers.
However, the statistics reveal there is a long way to go with more than 45,000 hospitalisations due to fall related injuries in one year alone (1998), racking up a health services bill of AU $804 million.
The Institute’s bleak outlook is that, “the expected change in demographics and trend in fall injury profiles will continue to increase the demand for services and double health costs due to falls.”
- Michael Burton (source: http://www.fallsprevention.org.au ) |
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