Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for persons aged >65 years. National estimates for rates of fatal falls and fall-related injuries treated in emergency departments have been published previously; however, this report presents the first national estimates of the number and proportion of persons experiencing fall-related injuries associated with either restricted activity or doctor visits. The results in this study suggest that in 2006, approximately 1.8 million persons aged >65 years (nearly 5% of all persons in that age group) sustained some type of recent fall-related injury. Even when those injuries are minor, they can seriously affect older adults’ quality of life by inducing a fear of falling, which can lead to self-imposed activity restrictions, social isolation, and depression. In addition, fall-related medical treatment places a burden on U.S. health-care services. In 2000, direct medical costs for fall-related injuries totaled approximately $19 billion. A recent study determined that 31.8% of older adults who sustained a fall-related injury required help with activities of daily living as a result, and among them, 58.5% were expected to require help for at least 6 months.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5709a1.htm
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I recently found your blog when looking for long term care blogs. You have an impressive array of information. I wonder if you are aware of the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) and the work they do in long term care. AMDA has published a Clinical Practice Guideline on Falls and Falls Prevention in the Long Term Care Setting. You can learn more about AMDA at their website: www.amda.com. The AMDA website and their "Journal of American Medical Directors" (JAMDA) publications are resouces that you might care to link to or discuss in your blog.
Thanks for the important work you do.
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