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Seniors Risk Severe Brain Injuries Sustained During a Fall

While most people are aware of the risk of breaking a hip when an elderly person falls, fewer people are aware that almost 50% of the deaths caused by falls in the elderly are the result of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). According to the June 23 issue of the Journal of Safety Research, a study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals that, in seniors over the age of 65, such injuries resulted in 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005 and almost 8,000 deaths.

The CDC report says one in every three Americans age 65 and older falls each year and 30% of those falls cause enough injury to warrant medical attention. In fact, the leading cause of death due to injury in people over age 65 is falls. Falls are also the leading cause of nonfatal injuries for this same population.

Of the 1.8 million seniors treated in emergency settings in 2005, 433,000 resulted in hospitalizations and almost 16,000 resulted in death. Even when the fall results in a non-fatal head injury, the results can be permanent and devastating. Some of the consequences of such falls include physical and emotional impairments and loss of cognitive function.

Many factors increase the risk of falling in the elderly population, including the aging process itself. As we age, we develop mobility issues caused by muscle weakness, unstable balance, and diminished sensation in the feet. Aging also causes changes or loss of vision, which attributes to the risk of falling, as do many chronic medical conditions and the side effects or drug interactions of the medications prescribed to combat those medical conditions. Within the home, poor lighting and household clutter contribute to the risk of falling.

The CDC research team used data from the 2005 National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Nationwide Inpatient Sample for analysis, which revealed:

• Men (26.9 per 100,000) are more likely than women (17.8 per 100,000) to sustain fatal TBIs during a fall.
• 54.9% of the elderly men who fell spent from two to six days hospitalized because of a TBI caused by a fall, while 61.5% of the elderly women were similarly hospitalized.
• The median cost of these hospital stays was $19,191 for men patients and $16,006 for the women.
• The older the person, the greater the risk of suffering a TBI from a fall.

As more and more Baby Boomers reach retirement age, the CDC predicts an increase in the number of falls and TBIs caused by falling unless preventive action is taken. To minimize the risk of falling, the CDC has published three guidelines offering suggestions for improved safety.

One publication, “Help Seniors Live Better, Longer: Prevent Brain Injury” presents a simple, question-and-answer format to help seniors, their families, and caregivers prevent falls and TBIs and to recognize TBIs when they occur. They also provide guidelines for responding when a TBI is suspected. This publication is printed in both English and Spanish.

The other publications, “Preventing Falls: What Works - A CDC Compendium of Effective Community-Based Interventions from Around the World” and “Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults,” are written for medical practitioners and the healthcare community in general.

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