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Falling - what are the consequences? |
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Every year between 33 and 50 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer a fall.
For every 100 of those people who fall, 20 will need medical help and just under 10 will sustain a fracture.
Falls can lead to a long stay in hospital.
Falls can result in people experiencing a loss of confidence, self esteem and reduced independence.
Falls can often result in a 'long lie' for a person who is unable to get up from the floor. This can have potentially serious consequences such as hypothermia, broncho pneumonia and pressure sores. A 'long lie' of 12 hours or more can seriously affect a person's recovery from a fall.
Falls can often result in fractures (broken bones), most commonly in the hips and wrists. People with thin bones, as a result of osteoporosis, are likely to sustain fractures more often.
The consequences of a fall can be described in three categories:
Physical Consequences
discomfort pain
serious injury
inability to look after oneself
long term disability
Social Consequences
loss of independence
loss of social contacts
loss of home
move to residential care
financial costs of help/care/hospital
decreased quality of life
changes to daily routine
Psychological Consequences
loss of confidence
loss of independence
fear
distress
guilt
blame
anxiety
embarrassment
The Consequences of a Fall - A True Story
Arthur was 65 when he fell backwards down the stairs of his home. He broke his shoulder and damaged his spine. Already disabled as the result of a mining accident when a young man, this fall took away the mobility he had striven so hard to maintain.
Months later he is still in hospital receiving physiotherapy to try and recover some movement in his legs and arms. It is still not known whether he will walk again. He is deeply depressed by his situation. He and his wife face having to leave the house they have lived in since they married in 1955, and move to a bungalow. His son and daughter-in-law, who have two small children, have taken on an increasing role in the care of both parents. An additional source of care will be needed when Arthur leaves hospital. Arthur's wife is suffering from stress and anxiety as a result of the uncertainty in their lives. Both Arthur's wife and son had given up smoking, but resumed in the aftermath of his accident.
Arthur's story highlights the burden on individuals, their partners, their families and the repercussions one accident can cause. Multiply this by the thousands of cases throughout the country and the scale of the problem in medical, social and financial terms becomes all too apparent.
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