As we age, our bodies become more susceptible to all kinds of ills. But one of the major health threats for seniors is not a disease.
It’s the risk of falling.
There is an irony in human existence - the risk of falling happens at the very early stages of life and the latest.
"It's estimated that about 40 percent of seniors over 65 falls every year and by the time they reach 80 about half of them fall every year and once they start falling, it happens repeatedly,” said Dr. Emese Somogyi of Castle Medical Center.
Experts tell us that seniors who remain active as they age are less likely to suffer injuries from falls.
We wondered why seniors do fall.
"It's a lot of reasons coming together, some of them are related to the body such as lack of muscle strength, lack of flexibility, poor vision, poor hearing, foot problems,” she said.
Add to this list of problems certain medications that could have a disorienting effect on seniors. And there are environmental problems as well such as loose rugs or slippery floors. As you heard the doctor say earlier, once a fall happens, there can be repeated incidents and family members may not know until a critical incident.
"They usually seek attention only when they get injured and once they are injured and enter the hospital, oftentimes, their ability to live independently decreases and they sometimes end up living in a nursing home,” she said.
For a senior to maintain their ability to age in place, family members or caregivers must pay close attention to the daily life of that kupuna.
"It requires a thorough assessment from a physician for things like hearing or vision impairment or adjustment of medications. Exercise and rehabilitation is extremely important,” she said.
