Wellness Path Weekly: Aging and Falling – Bad News and Good News, Part 1

6 October 2022

Aging and Falling

Bad News and Good News
Part 1

This article is adapted from my upcoming book, Tai Chi for Balance: How to Stay on Your Feet and Out of The Emergency Room.

Today's Wellness Path Weekly [WPW] is the first of a two-part series on Aging and Falling, Bad News and Good News.

Here, I cover the Bad News, the risks and consequences of falling for older adults.

Why start there?

Research suggests many older adults are not aware of these risks.

I don't want you to be in that group.

I want you to have the knowledge and motivation to take action to reduce your risk of falling, or the risks to someone you care about.

You'll get that from this article.

Next week, we'll get into the Good News about falls prevention, including the most effective exercise for avoiding falls.

If you're 60+, or care about someone that is, read on.                         

As we age, our risk of falling increases, especially in the 65+ demographic. It’s important for all of us to grasp the scope of the problem.

For adults age 65+, falling is

• The #1 cause of injury.
• The #1 cause of death from injury.

Each year in the US, one in three older adults fall. Those falls result in:

• 3 million emergency room visits.
• More than 2.8 million injuries.
• 800,000 hospital admissions.
• 30,000 deaths.
• More than $50 billion of total medical costs.

Let that sink in.

And the bad news doesn't stop there.

Consider the following:

• If you fall once, your risk of falling again doubles.
• 1 out of 5 falls causes a serious injury like a broken bone or head injury.
• 300,000 older adults are hospitalized annually for broken hips. More than 95% of hip fractures result from falls.
• About half of fallers who break a hip never functionally walk again.

The serious injuries caused by falls have a life-altering consequence for many older adults— loss of independence.

Beyond physical injuries, falls threaten our mental and emotional health. Falls can contribute to depression, fear, loss of confidence, and social withdrawal.

Leading medical authorities all agree— falling is a major health risk for older adults.

That all sounds like bad news to me. But it leads me to a question for you—

Is that enough bad news to convince to take action to reduce your falls risks? Or to help a parent or loved one reduce their falls risks?

I hope so.

Let's turn to the good news.                         

All leading medical authorities agree on this— we can prevent falls.

As stated by the Centers for Disease Control, “We know that falls are not an inevitable cause of aging. Prevention interventions reduce falls.”

That's good news.

But what are these "prevention interventions"?

And what does research suggest is the #1 exercise for preventing falls?

We'll turn to that topic in the next WPW.

Check out my popular Tai Chi for Balance Online Course. I'll guide you step-by-step through my complete Tai Chi for Balance Program.

With Tai Chi for Balance, you'll feel stable, secure, and confident on your feet. And avoid falls.

For more info, and to join the course, click here.

Chris Cinnamon, JD, MS
Certified Exercise Physiologist
Head Instructor
Author, Tai Chi for Knee Health