Today one of the biggest challenges we have as a society is to reduce and prevent unintentional injuries in older adults.
Falls represent one of the greatest risks in the elderly, causing different consequences for the person.
One of the consequences derived from falls in older people is the increase in mortality. If we look at the data offered by the WHO (World Health Organization), it indicates that 684,000 fatal falls occur annually. The highest mortality rates from falls are recorded in people over 60 years of age.
Data and research on falls in older people
In addition, they also point out that each year there are 37.3 million falls whose severity requires medical attention. Which implies a cost for said assistance.
If we analyze data collected by the Mapfre campaign “With Greater Care” and the subsequent study “Falls in older people”, they give us a vision of the impact it has on the Spanish population:
- The functionality in the lives of older adults suffers a significant deterioration, since: while before the fall 60.3% of the elderly were independent, after the fall this percentage drops to 50.3%.
- A fracture occurs in 4 out of every 10 falls, and a serious intracranial injury occurs in 2.5% of cases.
- Spanish public emergency services respond to 6 falls with injuries in people aged 65 or over. One in four patients had already fallen at some point in the previous 12 months.
- In 3 out of 4 falls they occur when the older adult is alone at home. The elderly person who falls cannot get up alone in 68%: only 15.5% of people get up alone.
- Falls occurred mainly at home (65.1%) and during the day (78.2%). The most frequent places were the bedroom (35.9%), followed by the bathroom (12.0%) and the kitchen (11.6%).
With these strokes we can get an idea of the magnitude of the problems that thousands of older adults experience daily. That is why it is considered one of the Geriatric Syndromes.
What is post-fall syndrome?
Many older adults, after suffering a fall, develop the so-called “Post fall syndrome”, in which emotional, psychological and social changes occur in the elderly, such as the loss of autonomy and independence, the feeling of insecurity and fragility and also a decrease in their social participation.
What can we do to prevent these falls or the appearance of Post-Fall Syndrome?
- Evaluation of the home, adapt and modify the environment if necessary. It may require architectural modifications, such as adapting a bathroom or small actions that are very beneficial can be carried out, such as removing carpets, installing good lighting, eliminating furniture that is not useful…
- Perform exercises toimprove balance, walking and/or functional training. There are also studies that link the practice of Tai Chi with the reduction of falls.
- Medication review and side effects. Especially the use of cannabis in edibles and other psychotropic drugs.
- Avoid consumption of toxic substances.
- Give support and social support , a community network that helps the elderly. And can identify when said person may require intervention. Avoid isolation. If the person lives alone, have social contact once a day.
- Ensure good nutrition and hydration. It is important to eat foods rich in calcium, protein and vitamin D. Drinking water throughout the day is also important, the recommendation would be about 6-8 glasses of water.
In conclusion, avoiding post-fall syndrome as well as preventing said fall is a challenge that we have as a society. To achieve this, some recommendations and measures can be adopted that will be very beneficial.
