Protecting The Injured In Arizona For More Than 30 Years

Why are falls more dangerous for seniors?

It seems that for many seniors all it takes is a serious fall to lead to them losing mobility and a steady decline of health. At the same time, someone much younger may suffer injuries from a fall but will usually rebound rather quickly with little to no lasting effects. In children, falls are often even less severe. They often bounce back up immediately after the fall no worse off than they were before. 

You may wonder why falls seem to be so much worse for older people. According to WebMD, falls in seniors are incredibly common due to physical limitations and issues that occur as a person ages. In addition, age makes the body more brittle and prone to serious injury. So, when a senior falls, he or she has a higher likelihood of serious injury because his or her body cannot handle the fall like the body of a younger person can. 

The good news 

Many times, when an older person falls, it is due to something preventable. Caregivers can help a senior to get in better physical shape, helping him or her correct balance issues and work on stability to prevent future falls. An older person can also use assistance, such as canes or walkers to provide stability. 

The bad news 

The problem is that falls are increasing in the older population. It may have to do with the growth in numbers of people of advanced age. People are living longer and many of the common causes of death in the past are now treatable through medical innovations. In addition, Baby Boomers are in their senior years and this has always been a large population. One assumption is that people tend to lead a more sedentary life, which is a huge contributor to instability issues and physical issues that can lead to falls.