The Problem

Only 22 percent of all the seniors surveyed showed interest in a free home safety assessment to assist in preventing falls.

Of the seniors who had one or more fall in the past 3 years, less than half (47 percent) were interested in a fall prevention safety presentation and only 29 percent were interested in a free home safety assessment.

This Senior reluctance to acknowledge their need for taking fall prevention actions in their homes indicates a dangerous lack of knowledge among this population of the high probability they will experience a fall, primarily in their home, and the devastating consequences. Falls are the primary cause of serious injury that affects Senior’s independent living status, leading to degraded future health issues, or even death.

Educating the Senior population regarding the risks and consequences of falls needs to be aggressively supported in our communities to raise awareness and stimulate interest in Seniors. Fall prevention upgrades to homes can avoid the vast majority of these risks and allow seniors to remain in their homes which has been proven to make them live happier, longer, and healthier lives.

The Home Safety Council® (HSC) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing home related fall injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year.

The Consequences Of Senior Falls At Home

Falls and fall-related injuries are the leading cause of death and hospitalization among Seniors by almost four to one over the second place cause of unintentional home injuries. Senior fall survivors are much more susceptible to the onset of other health issues dramatically limiting their mobility, safety, and independence, which ultimately leads to increased Care Provider requirements, diminished enjoyment of their life, and tremendous financial burdens.

In 2008, sixty-one percent (61%) of all Bankruptcy Filings in the US were Seniors over sixty-five who had to deal with medical expenses for health issues that were directly linked to a previous fall in their lives.

Senior falls impose an enormous burden on the individuals, their families, society and the nation’s health care system. As the population of the United States ages, this problem will exponentially increase.

If Seniors were proactive and took steps to “Fall Proof” their homes, an overwhelming majority of these devastating injuries and deaths could be avoided.

More than half of all fatal and nonfatal falls occur in the home, supporting the need to aggressively focus fall prevention efforts in the home environment.

The majority of unintentional home injuries do not result in death. However, of all unintentional home injuries, falls are dramatically recognized as the leading cause of fatalities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control:

More than one-third of adults' age 65 years and older fall each year from a total population that exceeded over 11 million in 2008.
Among older adults, falls are the #1 leading causes of injury deaths and the most common cause of injuries and hospital admissions for trauma, leading the second most common cause of injury by nearly a five to one ratio.
Older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes.
Of those who fall, 50 percent suffer moderate to severe injuries and 40 percent loose their ability to remain independent, suffer reduced mobility, and increase their risk of premature death.

The Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDPHP) Injury Prevention staff evaluated this nationwide data obtained through the CDC concerning deaths and injuries to people 65 years and older. They performed their own follow up study and determined the following:

15,800 Seniors 65 years and older die annually from unintentional falls
1.8 million Seniors were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for non-fatal falls.
Every hour 1.8 Seniors die and 205 are treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries.
45 percent of all hospital admissions are for accidental injuries.
The financial impact of fall-related injuries is significant. The CDC reports:
$19.2 billion annually is spent on treating the elderly for the adverse effects of falls
$12 billion for hospitalization from falls
$4 billion for emergency room visits from falls
$3 billion for outpatient fall related care, with most of these expenses paid for through Medicare
It is projected that direct treatment costs will reach $43.8 billion annually in 2020, at which time the cost to Medicare would be $32.4 billion
In 2008, of all bankruptcies reported in the total population of the United States, over 61 percent were Seniors who previously had a fall related injury that lead to further debilitating health issues or death.
The national death rate (per 100,000 population) from unintentional falls for Seniors 65 and over was 42.96.

The Solution

ProAgeHome has developed an effective Fall Prevention program to dramatically diminish the potential of Senior falls at home. We build relationships with Senior’s multi-party “warm” support group, such as their Care Givers, Physicians, Therapists, and most importantly, their adult children to raise their awareness concerning the risks and consequences of falls to uniquely qualify us to customize solutions for their specific requirements.

ProAgeHome has dedicated itself to the delivery of services and products to the Senior community to enable them to proactively "Fall Proof" their homes in a very economical manner. We have combined our core skills of over twenty years experience in the construction business, including numerous Hospital and Health Care Facility upgrades, and Relationship Management to yield a Single Source expertise dedicated on Senior Fall Prevention.

Our corporate mission is to enable Seniors to safely "age in place" in their homes where they can remain close to the people and things they love. It is a proven fact that Seniors who "age in place" are far more likely to live happier, longer, and healthier lives.

Our challenge is to disseminate information about proven fall risks and the consequences to the Senior population. This problem is especially important from a fall prevention standpoint because this demographic group is growing so rapidly, the negative impact of falls will obviously escalate exponentially.

If you are a Senior with questions, please contact us. We are anxious to assess your home and present you with a Fall Prevention Plan that fits your budget and often can be implemented in a single day.

If you are the adult child of a Senior, please understand these risks, and know that you parents are not going to openly share their needs with you because they do not want to burden your lives. Become involved in conversations with them regarding these issues. Please contact us to help. We are eager to speak with you and together, provide a safe, independent living environment to insure a happier, longer, and healthier life for them.

Quoted Resources:

National Council on Aging
Center for Health Data and Research
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDPHP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)