Did You Know?
In the United States, about 5.8 million people 65 and older fell at least once during a recent 3-month period.
When an elderly person falls, their hospital stays are almost twice as long than those of elderly patients who are admitted for any other reason.
The risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than men.
Annually, falls are reported by one-third of all people over the age of 65, and two-thirds of those who fall will do so again within six months.
The most profound effect of falling is the loss of functioning associated with independent living.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
One-third of Americans aged 65+ falls each year.
Every 15 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 29 minutes, an older adult dies following a fall.
Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.
Falls result in more than 2.3 million fall injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 650,000 hospitalizations and more than 20,000 deaths.
In 2000, the direct medical cost of fatal and nonfatal fall injuries totaled over $19 billion, $28.2 billion in 2010 dollars.
The financial toll for older adult falls is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $54.9 billion by 2020.
The Impact of Falls
Falls with or without injury carry a heavy quality of life impact. A growing number of older adults have a fear of falling and, as a result, self-limit activities and social engagements. This can result in further physical decline, depression, social isolation, and feelings of helplessness. This in turn leads to a decline in mobility and physical fitness, which can increase the actual risk of another fall.
Caregivers, be they professionals or family members, can also be greatly affected by this problem. They are often unable to physically assist the fallen person without danger of injury to themselves – therefore safe patient handling practices must be adhered to. Anticipation of another fall may make a caregiver reluctant to allow the senior any independence, which can diminish the senior’s quality of life.
Senior falls account for many injuries and even deaths, and the risk can be significantly reduced by using fall prevention practices or implementing a fall prevention program. In the U.S. millions of seniors fall every year for a variety of reasons. One reason is that many seniors take medications which may make them dizzy or drowsy. Additionally, a lack of muscle tone and stamina that occurs with older age can cause poor balance. Poor eyesight or dimly lit hallways, bathrooms and stairwells are also big causes of senior falls.
If you’ve experienced a senior fall or you know someone who has, you know it can result in a lack of confidence about being able to get up again.
Addressing the Problem
Calling emergency services can be embarrassing and costly, which is why we’ve designed the ResQUp. The ResQUp is a device that allows you to get up off the floor with minimal assistance. This is a key benefit because other people in the home or therapy environment may not be able to lift you, and NIOSH guidelines state that caregivers, for their own health and safety, should not lift more than 35 pounds.
The ResQUp is quite simple to use. The fallen senior can use the ResQUp to move to a sitting position, and from that position, stand up. If the ResQUp is not nearby, a caregiver can move it into position for the person that has fallen.
Many older people would like to get down to the floor as well to play with grandchildren or do other hobbies. The ResQUp can help you both get down to the floor and get back up again. Using it in this manner will help you improve your upper body strength. The more strength you have, the more you will be able to avoid senior falls, and the more confidence you will have that you can get back up again. Seniors that have more confidence in their physical abilities are likely to exercise more, contributing to their overall well-being.
For further reading on building senior strength, check out our post on Balance Exercises for Seniors.
In the United States, more than 1/3 of adults 65 and older fall each year. About 5.8 million people in this age group fell at least once during a recent 3-month period.Besides injuries caused by senior falls, the simple fear of falling can impact the lives of seniors by causing a reduction in their level of activity. This in turn leads to a decline in mobility and physical fitness, which can increase the actual risk of another fall.
Caregivers, be they professionals or family members, can also be greatly affected by this problem. They are often unable to physically assist the fallen person without danger of injury to themselves – therefore safe patient handling practices must be adhered to. Anticipation of another fall may make a caregiver reluctant to allow the senior any independence, which can diminish the senior’s quality of life.
Senior falls account for many injuries and even deaths, and the risk can be significantly reduced by using fall prevention practices or implementing a fall prevention program. In the U.S. millions of seniors fall every year for a variety of reasons. One reason is that many seniors take medications which may make them dizzy or drowsy. Additionally, a lack of muscle tone and stamina that occurs with older age can cause poor balance. Poor eyesight or dimly lit hallways, bathrooms and stairwells are also big causes of senior falls.
If you’ve experienced a senior fall or you know someone who has, you know it can result in a lack of confidence about being able to get up again. Calling emergency services can be embarrassing and costly, which is why we’ve designed the ResQUp. The ResQUp is a device that allows you to get up off the floor with minimal assistance. This is a key benefit because other people in the home or therapy environment may not be able to lift you, and NIOSH guidelines state that caregivers, for their own health and safety, should not lift more than 35 pounds.
The ResQUp is quite simple to use. The fallen senior can use the ResQUp to move to a sitting position, and from that position, stand up. If the ResQUp is not nearby, a caregiver can move it into position for the person that has fallen.
Many older people would like to get down to the floor as well to play with grandchildren or do other hobbies. The ResQUp can help you both get down to the floor and get back up again. Using it in this manner will help you improve your upper body strength. The more strength you have, the more you will be able to avoid senior falls, and the more confidence you will have that you can get back up again. Seniors that have more confidence in their physical abilities are likely to exercise more, contributing to their overall well-being.
For further reading on building senior strength, check out our post on balance exercises for seniors.
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