A fall can totally change a person’s life. A fall is a life changing health event. We know that 1/3 of all adults over the age of 65 will “take a spill” in a given year. Approximately 1/3 of those who do fall will end up with an injury requiring medical attention. Be aware 100% will end up with a mental “injury”. The fear of falling is one of the major causes of falling. When there is a fear of falling, people begin to do things differently. They walk differently, watch differently, and worst of all they begin limit their activities. These lifestyle changes create a downward spiral, increasing the risk of falls.
Falls are costly. Millions of healthcare dollars are spent each year to care for residents in the Twin Ports area who have experienced a fall. In our area approximately 1000 people over age 65 will experience a change in their quality of life or actually die as a result of falling this year. Research indicates that half of these people will never return to their pre-fall health status and up to 20% will die within one year of the injury.
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