Here's an article I just finished reading from the NCOA (National Council on Aging), that has a large section on Senior Falls, published in October 2023:
The general statistics on Senior Falls indicate that ONE in FOUR Seniors will fall. These are the same numbers quoted in a short article in the latest issue of the AARP newsletter. I've heard for some time that it has to do with Seniors' ears and hearing, but I've never had that thoroughly explained to me. I asked an ENT specialist a while back and he said "It's complicated."
Bottom line: I live in a senior residence, and yes, a lot of seniors do fall. Sometimes they just go boom and they fall for no easily discernible reason. I knew a nice elderly gentleman who delivered some meals on wheels to me and one day he came in and was quite upset as he said he was standing in the kitchen talking to an elderly gentleman and boom, he just fell over/down on the floor. All the guy I knew could do was dial 911. (The man who fell didn't have a heart attack and was apparently "ok" after the sudden fall.)
One of the worst things about seniors' falling is the propensity to fall AGAIN a short time after the original fall. It happens quite frequently according to the statistics.
Falls in the elderly are indeed INEVITABLE. Elderly suffer from many things, but most importantly from a deterioration of that portion of the brain responsible for balance. It WILL HAPPEN.
The reason that fall prevention is put in is to make it, of course, LESS LIKELY, THose who are fall prone often have special devices in the room to warn them about moving out of bed; they are, by care plan, more frequently checked, sometimes as often as 15 minutes. It is to ATTEMPT to prevent falls and to find the elderly person who has fallen more quickly, so that decubiti, which can form in only mere hours, don't happen. So that they don't attempt to get up and do themselves further harm.
The government in most states prevent use of any restraints now because people were being injured and harmed by the restraints, sometimes killed by them. Happened in my own hospital.
The reason for care plans and fall prone designation is to HELP prevent fall when it is possible. It isn't always possible.
So there you have it. No good answers to all the losses of aging and balance is one of them. If you are over 50 please start your balance exercises NOW.
What the CDC knows about aging and dementia I can put in a thimble.
They fall, then they fall again and again, who exactly should be held responsible because the signals in ones brain are altered by age and dementia?
Try and put in some safeguards, we lowered my mothers bed to about 12" off the floor, so when she does fall out of bed she doesn't have far to fall, she sits up in the morning and uses her walker to get upright.
Death is fully expected, should we not take precautions?
I am not saying they never fell but no one in my group of elders were habitual fallers like some you hear about who fall all the time. I don’t remember my Dad ever falling. Problem is it only takes one bad fall to make a huge difference in the quality of life. My mom fell three times. Only one time was she hurt. Aunt forgot she couldn’t walk and sprained her ankle.
Fall risk preventions are not guarantees but do help. Finding someone accountable is fortunately not the goal, rather the well-being of the patient. My mom’s walker got hung on a rug. Her poor decision (fully competent) to not allow the rug to be removed.
Aunt had chairs with rollers. She would flop down in them, had done for years. Therapist said get rid of them. I did but it took some persuading. Fall risk prevention is a good thing.
I understand that fall risk preventions are not a guarantee.
There are consequences if these preventions are overlooked, ignored or neglected by our trusted caregivers. When a facility is informed of known ways to help prevent a fall for that particular individual, then it is the responsibility of the facility & caregivers to implement; to help maintain a safe environment for that individual. The caregiver & facility failed to keep this person safe resulting in a preventable fall causing fatal injuries. Losing a loved one is hard enough, but to know that the fall could have been prevented is heartbreaking. Yes, I do want to know who is to be held accountable. Someone should be held accountable. If I can help even one family from losing their loved one too soon, I will. Knowing that death is inevitable, we don't need to rush it.
So not true for many elders. My very elderly Aunt fell while being supported by my cousin. She then fell at home again when she got out of her bed at night and broke her hip. She had dementia and memory loss. Happens in facilities because they cant "restrain" them, and nothing can be done in AL but in MC can at least put the mattress on the floor or use special mattress... but during the day they can attempt to get out of chairs and take a dive. You can't tell or teach them anything new. Will keep happening.
https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-healthy-aging
The general statistics on Senior Falls indicate that ONE in FOUR Seniors will fall. These are the same numbers quoted in a short article in the latest issue of the AARP newsletter. I've heard for some time that it has to do with Seniors' ears and hearing, but I've never had that thoroughly explained to me. I asked an ENT specialist a while back and he said "It's complicated."
Bottom line: I live in a senior residence, and yes, a lot of seniors do fall. Sometimes they just go boom and they fall for no easily discernible reason. I knew a nice elderly gentleman who delivered some meals on wheels to me and one day he came in and was quite upset as he said he was standing in the kitchen talking to an elderly gentleman and boom, he just fell over/down on the floor. All the guy I knew could do was dial 911. (The man who fell didn't have a heart attack and was apparently "ok" after the sudden fall.)
One of the worst things about seniors' falling is the propensity to fall AGAIN a short time after the original fall. It happens quite frequently according to the statistics.
If we were to sue these facilities for every fall an elder took, they'd all be out of business and you'd be caring for your loved ones at home.
Elderly suffer from many things, but most importantly from a deterioration of that portion of the brain responsible for balance.
It WILL HAPPEN.
The reason that fall prevention is put in is to make it, of course, LESS LIKELY, THose who are fall prone often have special devices in the room to warn them about moving out of bed; they are, by care plan, more frequently checked, sometimes as often as 15 minutes. It is to ATTEMPT to prevent falls and to find the elderly person who has fallen more quickly, so that decubiti, which can form in only mere hours, don't happen. So that they don't attempt to get up and do themselves further harm.
The government in most states prevent use of any restraints now because people were being injured and harmed by the restraints, sometimes killed by them. Happened in my own hospital.
The reason for care plans and fall prone designation is to HELP prevent fall when it is possible.
It isn't always possible.
So there you have it. No good answers to all the losses of aging and balance is one of them. If you are over 50 please start your balance exercises NOW.
They fall, then they fall again and again, who exactly should be held responsible because the signals in ones brain are altered by age and dementia?
Try and put in some safeguards, we lowered my mothers bed to about 12" off the floor, so when she does fall out of bed she doesn't have far to fall, she sits up in the morning and uses her walker to get upright.
I am not saying they never fell but no one in my group of elders were habitual fallers like some you hear about who fall all the time. I don’t remember my Dad ever falling.
Problem is it only takes one bad fall to make a huge difference in the quality of life. My mom fell three times. Only one time was she hurt. Aunt forgot she couldn’t walk and sprained her ankle.
Fall risk preventions are not guarantees but do help. Finding someone accountable is fortunately not the goal, rather the well-being of the patient. My mom’s walker got hung on a rug. Her poor decision (fully competent) to not allow the rug to be removed.
Aunt had chairs with rollers. She would flop down in them, had done for years. Therapist said get rid of them. I did but it took some persuading. Fall risk prevention is a good thing.
There are consequences if these preventions are overlooked, ignored or neglected by our trusted caregivers.
When a facility is informed of known ways to help prevent a fall for that particular individual, then it is the responsibility of the facility & caregivers to implement; to help maintain a safe environment for that individual.
The caregiver & facility failed to keep this person safe resulting in a preventable fall causing fatal injuries. Losing a loved one is hard enough, but to know that the fall could have been prevented is heartbreaking.
Yes, I do want to know who is to be held accountable. Someone should be held accountable. If I can help even one family from losing their loved one too soon, I will. Knowing that death is inevitable, we don't need to rush it.