How Many Falls Are Too Many?

How Many Falls Are Too Many?

When your loved one calls to tell you that they slipped at home, or when you need to meet an ambulance at the emergency room because your loved one had a more serious fall, you can feel scared. You can also feel anxious that they will fall again. However, how can you determine if they need more assistance or support, especially if they only fell once? Or if they fell without major injury?

How many falls are too many? It depends.

Just like many senior health topics, your loved one’s situation varies from their neighbor’s based on their medical conditions, cognitive health, and home environment.

Prevalence of Senior Falls

Unfortunately, the risk of falling increases dramatically with age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 4 seniors fall annually. However, most senior care experts agree that this number is actually too low, as older adults are not great reporters. For example, they might not mention that slip in the kitchen because they were able to get up on their own and they weren’t injured. 

However, while some falls are minor and do not result in injury, many falls are quite dangerous. The CDC reports that 8 million falls each year require some type of medical attention or limited activities for at least one day. Falls can cause bruising, cuts, broken bones, and head injuries. Even more tragically, about 32,000 older adults die as a result of a fall each year.

Factors That Increase Fall Risk

Is your loved one at risk for falling, or falling again? When you are considering how many falls are too many, assessing fall risk should be your first step. If your loved one meets any of these fall risk considerations, they could be at a higher risk for falling:

• Lives with a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s disease
• Uses a mobility device
• Lives with dementia or another type of cognitive decline
• Has had a fall in the past 3 months
• Has a history of dizziness
• Takes medications that cause dizziness or lightheadedness
• Has had a stroke and has weakness of one side of the body
• Lives with low vision
• Lives with diabetes or hypertension
• Lives alone
• Has chronic pain
• Has limited strength and mobility in lower extremities 

Environmental Fall Risks

[Secure all rugs to the floor with grip tape or non-slip rug mats]

While medical conditions and deconditioning can lead to a higher risk of falling, so can the environment that the senior lives in. Homes with too much clutter, narrow pathways, and dimly lit stairs can significantly increase the chances of a serious fall at home.

If your loved one has fallen once, take time to evaluate and adjust their environment to make it safer for them in the future:

• Add lighting in stairwells, corners, and along common pathways taken at nighttime, such as from the bedroom to the bathroom
• Secure all rugs to the floor
• Eliminate large pieces of furniture that make it difficult to get around the home
• Add grab bars to the bathroom near the toilet, as well as a shower chair to minimize the risk of falling in the bathroom
• Consider a recliner that has a lift mechanism to make getting in and out of it easier and less dangerous
• A medical alert device can provide peace of mind to them and to you in case a fall does occur
• Ensure your loved one has sturdy shoes they wear outside and inside to reduce tripping or slipping

How Many Falls Are Too Many?

Even one fall is too many and should point you toward following up with your loved one’s physician. Even if the fall was minor, a check-in with the doctor is an excellent first step to determine what caused the fall and what steps can be taken to prevent another in the future.

After speaking with your loved one’s physician, work with your loved one to find ways to make their environment safer. This might include adding those extra lights to the hallway or grab bars to the bathroom. Or, it could include making an appointment with a physical therapist to work on lower body strength and balance. It might even be having a visiting caregiver stop by daily to ensure safety.

Ideally, you and your loved one will work together to find ways to lower their fall risk before a significant fall happens. No matter what, one fall should prompt you to begin working with your loved one’s care team to reduce their risk of a subsequent tumble.