Abstract
As the aging population in the United States and other similarly developed nations across the globe continues to burgeon, the health significance of the aging population in these nations continues to increase. In 2008 alone, about 28-35% of those aged over 65 years were reported to fall every year with the proportion being greater at 45% for individuals aged 70 years and over in the US. The proportion of hospital admission owing to fall for people who are aged over 65 years ranges from 1.7 to 3.0 per every 10,000 individuals in the universal population. Hip fracture, upper limb injuries and traumatic brain injuries are the key reported injuries in fall-related admissions in hospitals. Hip fracture, upper limb injuries and traumatic brain injuries are the reported major injuries in fall-related admissions in hospitals. If no avoidance measures are put in place quickly, the number of injuries resultant from falls among the elderly will rise to 100% by the year 2030. It is, therefore, imperative for every stakeholder to play a role in dealing with falls among the elderly. Besides the hurt that the elderly experience of falling, there is also an additional burden as there are costs associated with treating the resultant injuries. Not all falls among the elderly can be eliminated, but it is imperative to reduce them to manageable levels.
One of the riskiest undertakings for hospitalized patients is the apparently simple deed of getting out of beds. This apparently simple act can lead to a stiff fall and subsequent serious injuries, not to mention the extra costs of medical bills. Falls and their related injuries are a significant public health concern, especially for the aging population. They cause major concerns among the elderly for two main reasons: in that they are more prone to happen among the aging population than falls in younger patients and also because falls have a tendency to result in serious injuries most of the time. The number of aging people keeps growing, with over 70 million people being considered elderly in America alone. In 2008 alone, roughly 28-35% of individuals who are aged over 65 years were reported to fall every year with the number being higher at 45% for individuals aged 70 years and over (WHO global report on falls prevention in older age, 2008). Falls are the principal cause of both deadly and non-fatal injuries for persons aged over 65 years. These falls can be linked to several factors such as functional and medical factors. Cognitive factors such as poor vision, incontinence and unsteady posture could also result in falls.
The regularity of falls keeps increasing with increasing age of individuals. Older individuals who are staying in nursing homes keep falling more frequently than those individuals who reside within the general community. Almost 50% of individuals who are residing in well-established care organizations fall each year with almost 40% of them experiencing recurring falls. The rate of admission due to falls for people who are aged 65 and over ranges from 1.7 to 3.0 per every 10,000 individuals in the general population (WHO global report on falls prevention in older age, 2008). 35% of severe injuries are caused by falling with 15%, resulting in emergency medical admissions. Hip fracture, upper limb injuries and traumatic brain injuries are the reported major injuries in fall-related admission in hospitals. Falls alone accounts for almost 40% of all injury-induced deaths recorded. The rates of deadly falls among the males also surpasses that of their female counterparts for all age groups. (WHO global report on falls prevention in older age, 2008). For a local population of almost 400,000 people, 15,000 of them are likely to fall each year with 7,000 of them likely to fall twice. 2,000 of them will likely attend a hospital to be treated for minor injuries with over 2,000 people calling for an ambulance. Another 2,000 forks are also likely to be admitted with fracture-related injuries with over 500 being because of hip fractures (WHO global report on falls prevention in older age, 2008).
There is no doubt that there is a pressing necessity for fall preventions. Falls prevention itself is not an easy task, especially when it comes to the aging population. The number of falls keeps on increasing as the number of the aging population keeps on increasing in almost every nation in the world. If no prevention measures are put in place as soon as possible, the number of injuries associated with falls among the elderly will rise to 100% by the year 2030 (Rubenstein, 2006). It will be a lie to envision a time where falls among the elderly people will be completely abolished. What needs to be done so as to reduce the number of falls is to strike a balance between the prevention of falls and living with the risks.
Prevention of falling among the elderly will require more than just the acquisition of equipment that are designed to reduce falls in hospital environments. It is an all-round activity that requires everyone to do their part. But a hospital is the one department that bears the biggest responsibility for the prevention of falls among the elderly. Healthcare facilities should ensure that each and every patient admitted in their premises is screened for fall-related activities (Scott et al., 2010). Old-aged people should be questioned about falls periodically. This is imperative, as it will go a long way in handling the fear of falls that varied patients might have. Patients who have ever felt while undergoing treatment should also be checked on their history of falls so as to determine the mechanism of falling as well as the associated risk factors for falls. Patients will also refer to falling as just tripping when it could be more than just that. The location of the falls should also be recorded, and it will be important if there could be witnesses to the fall.
Special care should also be granted to elderly people who are living in their homes. Experts should pay regular visits and assess modifiable risk factors as well as come up with appropriate interventions. All people aged 65 years and over should also undergo a balance and gait testing, which helps in determining ambulation capabilities, the balance of individuals as well as endurance capabilities (Rubenstein, 2006). Sometimes the causes of falls among the elderly are not determined; in such cases, referral to fall prevention programs will come in very handy. Here, many interventions should be done primarily with the purpose of reducing the causes of falls. Such interventions include modification of all possible environmental hazards as well as treatment of various ailments such as blood pressure and vision problems.
Education and information-giving should also be on the top priority of reducing falls among the elderly. Here, compliance of the patient is seeking to ensure that they fully participate in the interventions. This is because whenever patients are involved in the decisions about their care and in determining how much they are willing to take, it goes a long way in addressing the issue (Scott et al., 2010). All relevant information that can help the patient reduce fall as well as anything else they are supposed to do should be made clear to the patient in the best way possible.
Behavioral change among the aging groups should also be emphasized. Behavior change to good living is a very important aspect of encouraging healthy living as well as avoiding falls. Old-aged people should be aware that they need to take moderate alcohol if they cannot abstain from it completely as well as maintaining their weight. They should also ensure that they exercise on a regular basis so as to keep fit and maintain their balance. Moderate exercise, as well as physical activities, has been proven to lower the risk associated with falls together with fall-related injuries in the aging population through the art of adjusting weight and also contributing to stable muscles and bones (Campbell, 2012).
Falls prevention among the aging population is an essential health care aspect. Luckily enough, many programs exist both in healthcare facilities and the community for fall preventions and reducing the risk of falls. Proper use of those programs will go a long way in reducing falls and help the aging population to live longer and healthier lives. In order to reduce falls, each and every one should do their tasks as expected with healthcare facilities leading this fight. Not all falls among the elderly can effectively be prevented, but the need to have them reduced has never been more important.
References
Campbell, A. (2012). FALLS AND INJURY PREVENTION IN OLDER PEOPLE. Injury Prevention, 18(Supplement 1), A50-A51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2012- 040580m.1
Rubenstein, L. (2006). Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for prevention. Age And Ageing, 35(Supplement 2), ii37-ii41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afl084
Scott, V., Bawa, H., Feldman, F., Gould, J., Leung, M., & Rajabali, F. (2010). Preventing falls and related injuries among seniors in assisted living residences. Injury Prevention, 16(Supplement 1), A62-A62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.2010.029215.226
WHO global report on falls prevention in older age. (2008). Geneva, Switzerland.
