It is common knowledge that older people are far more prone to injury. They have less control over their bodies and they also have less strength. Those two things, control and strength are the two most important qualities needed by a person to stay away from being injured.
If you have a senior family member, then you know just how prone they are to injury and to accidents. We have compiled here a list of the most common reasons why seniors get injured. You might be able to use this information to prevent your family from falling into harm:
Falls- Here is an alarming fact: Falls are rated to be the highest leading cause of death for Americans who are 65 years and older. That means it kills more seniors than any kind of disease.
About 40% of all Americans who are 65 years old and older fall at least once each year. We all know the danger of that because their bodies are very vulnerable.
Abuse- Another sad fact connected with the elderly population of America is that they are the victims of abuse and neglect. A study conducted way back in 1996 showed that about half a million Americans who were 60 years old and older were the victims of physical abuse and neglect during a one year period. What's alarming is that the trend seems to indicate an increase rather than a decline with those numbers.
Since seniors have reduced capability in defending themselves, they are seen as easy targets for physical abuse by criminals and other undesirable elements. They can get hurt and sometimes they might not even report the incidents.
The same thing is true when it comes to neglect. Elders have lesser ability to demand the attention and care that they need. Sometimes they are just left alone.
Vehicular Accidents- The numbers of licensed drivers who are 65 years old and older are increasing every year. As a person gets older vision and motor skills are greatly reduced and so these senior drivers can be a potential risk on the road, not just to themselves but to other people as well.
Residential Fire- If you study the figures of those who die in residential fires each year, you would see that a greater portion of them are seniors. They are at risk in such emergency situations because they would have little of the strength needed in order to escape. They are also be less alert in situations where a split second might be crucial.
Suicides- Statistics show that the rate of suicide increase with age. That means seniors are the age group that is particularly prone to it.
Sexual Abuse- Even the elderly can be victimized by sexual abuse. This might include verbal and physical forms of abuse. Unfortunately, little is known about this fact with almost no studies being conducted.
These are some of the leading causes of injury and death among seniors. If you have an elderly family member then you ought to be aware about these facts in order to take care of them properly.
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