The difference between outdoor and indoor falls
September 13, 2010
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 40 percent of seniors who aren’t living in facilities fall every year, but a new study suggests that there is a difference in risk for those who fall indoors and those who fall outdoors, according to SeniorJournal.com.
These findings, conducted by Harvard affiliate Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife, come on the heels of the CDC’s report, which states that almost half of these annual falls occur outside a senior’s home.
“Indoor and outdoor falls are both important,” study author Marian T. Hannan told the news source, “but people at high risk for indoor falls are different in many ways from those at high risk of outdoor falls.”
Seniors who fell outside were found to be healthier and younger than those who fell inside, and the majority were males who led active lifestyles. Hannan claimed that most fall prevention classes focus on training older adults for indoor falls, but this study suggests equal attention should be given to training for outdoor falls.
Falls can be hazardous when seniors are living alone in their homes and there is no one to help them. By using a personal emergency response system, older adults can immediately notify caretakers or doctors if they are in need of assistance.