Falls among residents of skilled nursing facilities are the leading cause of injury, hospital admissions and lawsuits for nursing home operators. Falls among adults aged sixty-five and older are incredibly costly. Each year about $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to non-fatal fall injuries and $754 million is spent related to fatal falls.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that documented falls in LTC are 100-200 per year per 100 beds and average facility cost per fall may exceed $17,000. Note the CDC also states the average hospital cost for a fall-related injury is $35,000.
Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older, according to data released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDC). A third of older adults reported falling at least once the previous year.
Elderly adults suffer an estimated 29 million falls per year, leading to seven million injuries and about $50 billion in Medicare costs. Falls are to blame for more than 27,000 senior deaths annually, according to the CDC. Officials urge healthcare providers to incorporate fall prevention activities into care routines.
For over 30 years Personal Safety Corporation has offered the highest quality fall management & wandering prevention safety products at the lowest factory-direct prices. Our Secure Safety Solutions patient safety products help nurses, caregivers, nursing homes, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities reduce fall related injuries.
PSC’s goal is to help prevent injurious falls amongst those who are at the highest risk of falling by offering only the highest quality fall management and wandering prevention products that are highly effective in monitoring and protecting elderly fall-risk patients living in a nursing home, hospital, or residential environment.
Our competitively priced products also help nursing home operators reduce the cost of their facility’s fall management program without sacrificing product quality. PSC stands behind every product sold with industry-leading product warranties, friendly & knowledgeable customer support, and hassle-free product returns.
The patented Wireless Patient Monitoring System, Caregiver Alert System, wired & wireless bed and chair exit alarms, bedside safety floor mats, hip protectors, wheelchair positioning cushions, and other elderly safety products help nurses & caregivers maintain the dignity of the resident, patient, or loved one while allowing for effective monitoring of the resident by the caregiver. Many of our patient monitoring devices can be set to not alarm in the patient room and remotely notify nurses and caregivers up to 500 ft. away when a fall risk individual attempts to leave the bed or chair.
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For additional CDC information on falls follow the links below:
Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
Costs of Falls Among Older Adults
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data/fall-cost.html
Hip Fractures Among Older Adults
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/hip-fractures.html
Here are some additional statistics about elderly falls:
- Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, according to the National Council on Aging.
- Over half of all falls take place at home.
- More than 80,000 people are sent to the hospital each year for falls caused by pets.
- When an elderly person falls, their hospital stay is almost twice as long as that of elderly patients admitted for other reasons.
- The risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than men.
- Two-thirds of those who fall will do so again within six months.
- More than half of all fatal falls involve people 75 or over.
- Among people aged 65 to 69, one out of every 200 falls results in a hip fracture. That number increases to one out of every 10 for those aged 85 and older.
- One-fourth of seniors who fracture a hip from a fall will die within six months of the injury.
- About half to up to three-quarters of all adults living in long-term care settings suffer a fall each year. This rate is twice as large as the rate of falls which occur for elders living in a community.
- Injuries from falls account for approximately 36 percent of potentially preventable visits to the hospital emergency room by nursing home patients.
- Between 16 percent and 27 percent of nursing home falls occur due to environmental hazards such as inadequate lighting or slippery floors within nursing homes.
- Nursing home falls frequently cause disability, functional decline, reduced independence, and reduced quality of life for elderly people. Patients with a fear of nursing home falls may also experience feelings of helplessness, loss of function, depression, anxiety, and social isolation. It is important to take precautions both in and out of a nursing home facility to prevent elderly falls, fractures, and injuries.
