Falling changes lives. The National Council on Aging reports that every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall. Falling doesn’t just take a toll on a senior’s mental health. It can deeply affect their mental health as well. It not only attacks a person’s physical health, but it can also affect a person’s mental health as well. The fear of falling can be just as weakening as the fall itself.

How Falls Affect Mental Health

The fear of falling can become a barrier that prevents seniors from people and activities that they love the most. They may become isolated, losing touch with close family and friends. Once-in-a-lifetime milestones like birthdays and graduations disappear. The isolation may cause depression and anxiety in the future. If the senior ends up falling, it may drastically impact their physical health.

Physical Effects of Falling

One out of three older Americans sustains serious injuries after a fall like a fracture, a broken hip, or a concussion. This could make a senior immediately lose their independence. 800,000 older adults are hospitalized annually due to falls. Of those individuals, many must go to a long-term elder care recovery center for at least a year. Some of those never return home. This is an awful reality that thousands of seniors deal with across the world.

Falling: Risk Factors

Contrary to popular belief, falls aren’t unpredictable. Medical illnesses, physical ailments, and home environment could cause a senior’s fall risk to elevate. Having a variety of risk factors also causes a senior’s fall risk to elevate. When an older adult has a high fall risk, they have a high probability of falling. Some examples of risk factors are poor eyesight, arthritis, and a lack of grab bars in the bathtub. Identifying these risk factors quickly and making changes minimizes the possibility of falling.

To improve a senior’s quality of life, fall and injury prevention is key. Although, it can be difficult to research risk factors and create a plan all on your own. At Visiting Angels of Hurst, our elder care can help. We are dedicated to educating older adults, their families, service providers, about reducing falls. We strive to provide elder care to seniors and older adults in Hurst and help maintain their independence.

Download Your Free Safe & Steady Fall Prevention Resource Guide today.