Medically unattended falls

In a previous blog, some statistics were presented that showed the frequency of falls that result in moderate to severe injury and described some of the more common injuries experienced by those suffering these types of falls.  These are the falls that generally require medical attention and treatment. 

But how common are falls in general and are there any concerns with less serious falls?  In a recent survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked people 65 years and older to report if 1) they had fallen within the past 3 months and 2) if they had been injured OR reduced their activity level for at least one day.  A surprising 16% had fallen at least once and about a quarter of those had fallen at three times or more. 

About the same number of men and women report falling (15%) but more women (36%) than men (25%) report being injured in a fall.  About 14% of people 65 to 74 years of age report falling in the past 3 months and the rate goes up to 16% for those 75 to 80 years and all the way up to 21% for those over 80 years.

Falls that do not result in moderate to severe injury are important for other reasons.  A less disastrous fall may indicate a person who is likely to have a problematic fall in the future due to physical or cognitive impairments.  Even when a fall results in minor or no injury, an older adults' quality of life may be reduced.  Many older adults become quite fearful of falling and may start limiting their activity level.  This in turn can lead to social isolation and depression.  ANY fall, therefore, is reason for concern among people 65 years or more especially because they can be prevented with common sense strategies.