Recently, 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in the news for broken ribs incurred after a fall in her office. Justice Ginsburg is recovering, but her injuries did highlight the serious — and all-to-often fatal — problems that accompany an elderly slip and fall.
Broken ribs, per se, are not going to be fatal. Neither is a broken hip, another common injury among older people. But the ripple effects that come with these injuries are dangerous.
Dangerous side effects of a slip and fall injury
The only way a person with a broken rib can “stay off” the injury is to reduce their breathing. Unfortunately, that’s what often happens. Reduced breathing increases exposure to pneumonia, which can be fatal for the elderly. Broken ribs can result in problems with lung function. It adds up to the fact that for every five older Americans who suffer at least three broken ribs, one of them will be fatal.
Hip injuries don’t have the same physical causes, but the psychological damage can be devastating. After a hip injury, the patient is often confined and depression is common. A quarter of the elderly people who break a hip will die within a year of the accident.
The risk of fragile bones and how to prevent injury
The more fragile bones in older people is what increases their risk of injury, and it’s natural for the elderly to want to stay comfortably in their chairs. But that actually heightens the risk. Regular exercise is imperative. Weaker muscles are also a part of the aging process and working to counteract is the best way to reduce slips and falls.
The National Council on Aging reports that nearly every twenty minutes sees an elderly person die as the result of a fall. The human costs — lost years for grandkids with their grandparents, for children with their parents — are accompanied by a heavy financial toll that is expected to exceed $67 billion annually by 2020. The NCOA recommends several reputable fall prevention programs that can make a positive difference.
Even for the young, slip and fall injuries are prevalent in certain conditions, especially in winter. No matter your age, it’s important to take precautions whenever you’re at risk for injury.