Falling over is an integral part of growing up for children. Nevertheless, falling over is also an inevitable part of aging. According to the statistics, 33% of people aged 55 to 70 have fallen and the death rate is 7.5%. While among those aged 70 and over, 70% have fallen and the death rate is 17.6%.
As the elderly age, their physiological function declines. When an aged person is immobilized or has a chronic illness, falling over becomes an unavoidable accident. Aside from wet floors after showers, clutter, and inadequate lighting, there are also a number of factors that increase the risk of the elderly falling over. These factors can not only be detrimental to the elderly permanently but also have long-term effects on the elderly. Those people who have fallen over in the past are more likely to seek medical advice and stay in the hospital, which also increases their medical expenses. Therefore, the problem of the elderly falling over has raised a high level of public awareness.
Consequences of elderly falling over：
- The most common fractures in the body occur in the hip bone, vertebra, or wrist. The elderly who suffer from serious fractures may need a wheelchair, become bedridden, or not be able to take care of themselves, thus their living quality decline
- Feeling depressed because they are afraid of falling over again and avoid going out
- Dying as they were not saved in time
After falling over, the slightly injured elderly suffer cuts and bruises. Those elderly who are seriously injured may suffer a fracture or even die. Therefore, the elderly should avoid standing up immediately after falling over. To avoid getting injured again, they should seek medical advice in accordance with their circumstances.
Management after falling over：
Stay calm and assess the degree of injury
If it is a slight injury, try to move by holding on to the stable furniture
If it is a bad injury, try to make a phone call, ask for assistance via Personal Emergency Link Service, or shout.
The consequences of an elderly person falling over are potentially severe or detrimental. Are you worried that nobody noticed when the accident happened?
Intelligent Design Technology Limited has launched a fall detection system for the elderly and their carers. This system ensures the safety of the elderly through fall detection, misbehavior alert, and pose analysis. When the elderly fall, the system informs the caregivers immediately so they can rescue them as quickly as possible. We can not only prevent the elderly from suffering serious sequelae but also can relieve the stress of carers.
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References:
- 香港特別行政區衛生署 長者健康服務網站, 足不可失 – 長者防跌小貼士 (n.d.). Retrieved June 2020, from https://www.elderly.gov.hk/tc_chi/healthy_ageing/home_safety/falls.html.
- 大人健康社區, 防跌攻略 (n.d.). Retrieved from https://wellbeing.community.bigsilver.org/?page_id=414.
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