More than 25% of seniors experience a fall each year in America. Emergency departments see 3 million seniors for fall-related injuries. While falls are so common they’ve become the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in adults over age 65, that doesn’t mean they are an inevitable fact of aging. In truth, the belief that falls are simply a natural part of getting older actually puts seniors at a greater risk for falls.
Balance and agility naturally wane in an older adult’s later years. If nothing is done, this decline puts seniors at a greater risk of experiencing an injury-inducing fall, but it doesn’t follow that there’s nothing you can do to prevent a fall from happening. Some basic steps toward fall prevention can make a senior much safer.
Read 5 myths about senior falls HERE.