Falls Are Main Cause Of Injury And Death In Seniors

If you have an older loved one you want to keep safe and healthy, do all you can to eliminate their chances of falling. In a recent report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they list falls as the #1 cause of injuries and deaths among older Americans. Seniors, suffered 29 million falls in 2014, resulting in 7 million injuries.

As taxpayers, it's costing us all. Medicare costs to treat fall-related injuries is estimated to be $31 billion annually. With more than 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day the problem is more than likely to get worse.

Risk factors for falls include:

Increased inactivity

Severe chronic health conditions

Reduced muscle strength

Increased use of prescription medications

The CDC lists a few common-sense steps to reduce risks of falls, such as, eliminating obvious fall hazards, getting eye exams yearly to ensure you can see where your going and last but not least, get plenty of exercise. The stronger you are, the less likely you are to fall.