Thedacare: As You Age, Take Steps to Avoid Trips, Falls
Older Adults Can Live Healthy, Active, Social Lives While Reducing Fall Risk
A stumble, a trip, a fall. What may seem like a minor incident may quickly turn serious, especially for older adults. That’s why ThedaCare is sharing tips to help people stay on their feet.
Consider these statistics from the Falls Free Initiative:
- Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65 and older) falls in the U.S.
- More than one-fourth of Americans aged 65 and older fall each year
- Falls result in more than three million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 32,000 deaths
- Each year, falls lead to approximately $50 billion spent on medical costs related to non-fatal fall injuries and $754 million spent related to fatal falls
“As the top cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older adults, falls are a serious matter,” said Amy Sexton, a ThedaCare Physical Therapist who works at Peabody Manor in Appleton. “The good news is that people can take several steps to help prevent these accidents.”…