📹 Fall Prevention Awareness Week: Senior Caregiving Q/A

Many senior care advocates are joining together this September 20-24 to raise awareness for falls prevention in older adults. Falls among adults aged 65 and older are common, costly and preventable. 

Thanks to the CDC, here are some statistics we know:

• More than 25% of older people fall each year. 

• Less than 50% tell their healthcare provider.
• 2.8 million older adults visit emergency departments yearly for falls.
• Over 800,000 of these visits result in hospitalizations.
• 300,000 older people experience hip fractures.
• 95% of Hip Fractures are a result of a fall.
• More than 27,000 older adults die from unintentional falls yearly.
• $31 billion in medical costs related to fall injuries.

Falls can be fatal, especially in the elderly, which means they need extra efforts to ensure they are protected. 

Organizations such as the National Council on Aging and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  are sharing resources and materials in an effort for caregivers to learn more ways to engage their loved ones and elders in fall prevention techniques and conversations. The first step in preventing falls is to start having conversations to learn best practices, activities, and support options available. 

Source of Life Technologies partnered with Hans Karlsson, Regional Director of Rehabilitation from Aspire Home Healthcare, to dissect common questions and thoughts around fall prevention. We talked about:

1. How can we partner together to prevent falls?
2. What are risk factors that lead to falls?
3. What are 3 common fall prevention steps?
4. What is lacking in fall prevention today?
5. How can technology help fall prevention?

The use of cell phones, apps, and artificial intelligence brings to light new kind of caregiving options and level engagement. 

“Through technology, the Mat of Life is going to allow an early alert system to allow caregivers and loved ones to know what is going on. It can help prevent tragic falls that are avoidable.”

 - Hans Karlsson, Regional Director of Rehabilitation, Aspire Home Healthcare.

You can watch the full interview here.

So, how do we update our fall prevention conversation?

Technology has uncovered ways for healthcare providers to use tools to determine next steps in proactive treatment and now we are bringing this into the home for everyday caregivers like you and I to utilize and help balance safety and autonomy in the senior community. 

If you are ready to find new ways to address falls and bring peace of mind into your fall prevention plan, the Source of Life Technologies team is on hand to help find the strategies that work for you. You can learn more by talking with us today.  

Falls in the senior community are far too common, costly, and preventable. Senior care fall strategies shouldn’t be reactive - they should be proactive. Just imagine if you could monitor, track, and address patient needs BEFORE a fall happens. This type of fall prevention initiative is available with Source of Life Technologies - Mat of Life - your modern fall prevention solution. 

You can learn more about Mat of Life here.