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Falls and the Elderly

By Beth Janicek

The New York Times has an interesting article regarding falls and the elderly. The article discusses how devastating a fall can be for an elderly person but also how important it is for the medical providers to look at all the medical aspects when an elderly person falls.

In 2005, the last year for which statistics are available, 433,000 people over 65 were admitted to hospitals after falling, and 15,800 died as a direct result of the fall. Less visible are the many who survive the fall but not the indirect consequences.

It is the indirect consequences that often are ignored by the health care providers and allow the elderly person’s health to spiral down after a fall. The medical providers need to examine the psychological factors that accompany the injury such as depression and fear of falling. Additionally, the medical providers need to determine what the cause of the fall was. Too often in my nursing home cases, the medical record will show the person has fallen a multitude of times but no one is really investigating why the elderly person is falling. At times it may be a simple treatable change that can help prevent the falling.

If you are responsible for the care of an elderly person who has fallen be sure to discuss these aspects with the medical providers to help prevent future falls. My office handles cases regarding falls in the elderly in any setting. For more information contact my office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Full post as published by San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer on November 10, 2008 (boomark / email).