Falling Out of Style

Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older Americans. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in the emergency room each year including over 800,000 hospital admissions and 27,000 deaths. In 2016, the total cost of fall injuries was $31 billion. This number is expected to increase to $67 billion by 2020 as our population ages.

Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall and every 19 minutes an older adult dies as the result of a fall.

33% of people age 65-80 fall each year

40% of people age 80+ fall each year

Women are twice as likely to fall as men

Hip fractures from falls are the #1 cause of hospitalization for fracture and need for nursing home/rehab placement prior to return to home.

As people become more fearful of falls, they begin to change the way they walk and move. They take shorter, shuffled steps and tend to lean forward. They keep their heads down with eyes to the floor. This pattern actually places us at greater risk for falls by decreasing the ability to scan our environment and negotiate obstacles and uneven surfaces. 

Falls, with or without injury, have a strong impact on quality of life. Many older adults are fearful of falling which causes them to limit their social and recreational activities leading to further physical decline, depression, and feelings of helplessness.

Falling is NOT a normal and inevitable part of aging and there are several things you can do to prevent future falls. As a movement expert, a physical therapist can perform a comprehensive evaluation, help you to set realistic goals, and safely prescribe a program with dosage sufficient enough to generate results. With the guidance of a physical therapist, you can improve mobility, increase strength, maximize balance, decrease risk for falls, maintain your independence, and continue participating in your favorite daily activities.

All physical therapists are prepared through education and experience to treat a variety of conditions or injuries. As you age, you may want to consider finding a physical therapist who is a board-certified clinical specialist or who completed a residency or fellowship in geriatric physical therapy. This physical therapist has advanced knowledge, experience, and skills that may apply to your condition.

Kathleen Walworth, PT, DPT
Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist

Athletico Physical Therapy
250 S. Main St. Suite 4 – Brooklyn, MI 49230
P: 517.879.4006
kathleen.walworth@athletico.com