Falling Down is no Joke for the Elderly

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that falls are the second highest cause of injury in seniors. Falls trail just behind traffic-related injuries. In fact, over 37 million of these falls are serious enough to require medical attention, globally.

Here in the U.S., the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that one in four seniors, aged 65+, fall each year. Those falls mean more than 2.8 million visits to the emergency room. Tragically, there are over 27,000 deaths each year from falls.

Preventing Falls

The WHO lists multiple fall prevention strategies to help reduce risk, including:

• Muscle strengthening and balance retraining
• Introduction and use of physical devices to assist those with physical and/or sensory impairments
• Thorough assessment of the living environment for potential falling hazards

The rest of the list, along with a discussion of other risk factors can be found here on the WHO website.

The Cost of Falls – not just in dollars

The CDC explains that the total cost of the injuries from falls was about $50 billion in 2015. By 2020, these costs are expected to be over $67 billion.

There has been a lot of work raising awareness around preventing these falls. Unfortunately, many seniors react in fear, so they change their regular activities. They choose to stay home and “play it safe”. However, reducing their social interaction and physical routines creates their own problems. They often experience an increase in alienation and depression.

You don’t have to hide in fear of falls! A thoughtful long term care insurance (LTCi) policy can help you easily prepare to navigate this road. Perhaps you want to hire trained home healthcare professionals.  Maybe you’re looking for a facility that is properly equipped with safety features to reduce your risk. These options become available to you, especially when you plan in advance for your future needs.

The first “step” is beginning your research. Click here to receive your free, no-obligation quote for your own LTCi policy.