Falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death to people in Florida over the age of 65. Many times, falls aggravate existing conditions and cause ongoing problems. More than 61,000 people were hospitalized in Florida with fall-related injuries in 2011, and three-quarters of those people were aged 65 and older, according to the Florida Department of Health. One of the major factors in how well people recover from a fall is how healthy they were beforehand.
In a recent study published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, Yale University researchers studied 754 people ages 70 and older at a Connecticut community living center and monitored the outcomes of those who fell. The findings of the study offer insight into how people recover from fall injuries.
Minimal and No Disability
Seniors in good heath prior to a fall were often able to recover completely. About 9.2% of participants recovered rapidly following their fall, and these individuals all had no or mild disability prior to the accident.
The people who recovered faster were usually at the lower end of the age group. When considering fall-related fatality statistics, more than half of the fatalities occur in people over the age of 75. In addition, those who sustained hip fractures had a slower recovery rate than those who had other fall-related injuries.
Hip fractures are particularly difficult to recover from, as these types of fractures almost always require surgical repair and hip replacement. Because the hip is a major weight-bearing joint, those who were already in poor health had extremely poor recoveries after hip fractures.
Severe and Moderate Disability
People who were moderately or severely disabled prior to a fall very rarely achieved a full recovery, according to the New Haven study. About 83% of the people who had at least a moderate disability prior to the fall achieved little to no recovery after the fall.
For elderly people suffering from bone thinning or arthritis, recovery from any kind of fracture can be difficult. Hip fractures were the most common debilitating condition, and one in four elderly people die within 6 months of fracturing a hip.
In almost every case, a person in poor health prior to the fall was left with a severe disability after the fall and had little to no chance of recovery.
How well a person will recover following a fall generally depends on their health prior to the accident. For people suffering from osteoporosis or other progressive conditions, the prognosis was usually poor, and they had limited return to function following the fall. However, for those in good health, the prognosis was much better, and their recoveries were much faster.
Falls in people over the age of 65 are a major cause of injury and death. One in 3 people age 65 years or older falls every year, and recovery is much slower for them than for those who are under 65. In 2011, 2,295 people in Florida were fatally injured in a fall, and many of them were seniors.
How healthy an elderly person is prior to a fall will determine if he or she is able to go on living independently after the fall.
Falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death to people in Florida over the age of 65. Many times, falls aggravate existing conditions and cause ongoing problems. More than 61,000 people were hospitalized in Florida with fall-related injuries in 2011, and three-quarters of those people were aged 65 and older, according to the Florida Department of Health. One of the major factors in how well people recover from a fall is how healthy they were beforehand.
In a recent study published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, Yale University researchers studied 754 people ages 70 and older at a Connecticut community living center and monitored the outcomes of those who fell. The findings of the study offer insight into how people recover from fall injuries.
Minimal and No Disability
Seniors in good heath prior to a fall were often able to recover completely. About 9.2% of participants recovered rapidly following their fall, and these individuals all had no or mild disability prior to the accident.
The people who recovered faster were usually at the lower end of the age group. When considering fall-related fatality statistics, more than half of the fatalities occur in people over the age of 75. In addition, those who sustained hip fractures had a slower recovery rate than those who had other fall-related injuries.
Hip fractures are particularly difficult to recover from, as these types of fractures almost always require surgical repair and hip replacement. Because the hip is a major weight-bearing joint, those who were already in poor health had extremely poor recoveries after hip fractures.
Severe and Moderate Disability
People who were moderately or severely disabled prior to a fall very rarely achieved a full recovery, according to the New Haven study. About 83% of the people who had at least a moderate disability prior to the fall achieved little to no recovery after the fall.
For elderly people suffering from bone thinning or arthritis, recovery from any kind of fracture can be difficult. Hip fractures were the most common debilitating condition, and one in four elderly people die within 6 months of fracturing a hip.
In almost every case, a person in poor health prior to the fall was left with a severe disability after the fall and had little to no chance of recovery.
How well a person will recover following a fall generally depends on their health prior to the accident. For people suffering from osteoporosis or other progressive conditions, the prognosis was usually poor, and they had limited return to function following the fall. However, for those in good health, the prognosis was much better, and their recoveries were much faster.
Falls in people over the age of 65 are a major cause of injury and death. One in 3 people age 65 years or older falls every year, and recovery is much slower for them than for those who are under 65. In 2011, 2,295 people in Florida were fatally injured in a fall, and many of them were seniors.
How healthy an elderly person is prior to a fall will determine if he or she is able to go on living independently after the fall.