Healthy Living incur a traumatic fall. Some view falls and balance issues as an inevitable part of aging. There are inevitable things that come with aging, but falls are not among them. As we age, beginning at about age 40, we lose about 5% of our brain mass with each passing decade. This leaves us more vulnerable to jarring our skulls, which may occur during a fall, causing a brain bleed. Slow bleeds can take several days to create side affects that alert us of a problem. Many older adults take numerous medications for one or more chronic conditions; it’s so common that it has a name, polypharmacy. Some medications, such as Benadryl, or combinations of medications, make us more vulnerable to falls. Our reflexes aren’t as quick as they once were and our coordination may be different, too. As we age, our hearing and eyesight change, both of which can affect our susceptibility to falls. How many of us have told our primary healthcare provider that we have fallen, only to get a note in our charts, but nothing more? After all, if our primary isn’t concerned, should we worry? The answer is, "yes." We should be concerned as falls are the leading cause of injury and death among adults age 65 and older. About 25%, or 14 million adults over 65, will experience a fall. From 2003 to 2023, fall-related death rates increased by more than 70% for ages 65–84 and doubled for those 85+. Nearly 3 million of those falls will require an emergency
Falls Are NOT an Inevitable Part of Aging By Karen Fogas Healthy Living Program Director Right before Memorial Day, I got a call that my mom had fallen. The attendants at the assisted living community in Washington state where she lived, found her unresponsive during a routine 4:30 am check. We believe she had gotten up in the night to use the bathroom, lost her balance and fell, hitting her head on the counter. At the hospital, an MRI showed a large subdural hematoma was shifting her brain and pressing it into her brain stem. She never regained consciousness and died a week later. I talked to my mother frequently in the months before she passed. In fact, I had spoken to her the night before. She was upbeat and in a very good mood. Just before we hung up, I reminded her about falling and asked her to slow down. Her response was, “Oh, I know!” As a former nurse, my mother assumed she knew everything she needed to know about falls and didn’t want to be reminded to change her habits and behaviors, even the small ones. Some older adults I speak with don’t want to be reminded of their mortality. By avoiding the subjects that come with getting older, they avoid thoughts of dying, or worse for many older adults, the thought of losing functional independence. Still others fail to realize the realistic con- cerns around falls, often until they
room visit and another one million will require hospitalization. Hip fractures, 90% of which are caused by falls, often result in prolonged recovery, with about 25% of those incurring a hip fracture passing away within six months. The Centers for Disease Control put the cost of fall-related medical care at around $50 billion annually, however more recent estimates show non-fatal falls cost Medicare and others over $80 billion in 2020. Costs are expected to exceed $100 billion by 2030. But as dire as all that sounds, falls are not an inevitable part of aging! Once we acknowledge the risk, we can take meaningful steps to prevent falls. • Learn the facts about falls and how you can prevent them. • Get and stay active, don’t let the fear of falling shrink your world. • Exercise is great for lots of reasons as we age, and it has been proven to reduce and prevent falls. • Get your hearing and eyesight checked annually. • Assess your home for falls risks like loose rugs, poor lighting, and clutter • Add modifications including grab bars, rearrange cupboards and use assistive devices such as canes or tub transfer benches. • Talk with family members and healthcare professionals about your concerns. For more information about preventing falls, contact us at (520) 790-7262.
Page 18 | September & October 2025, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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