Follow up care is not just important, but also critical after a senior suffers injuries in a slip and fall accident, and yet, new studies find that far too many seniors receive no such after – fall care, resulting in serious consequences.
The new studies find that as many as 59% of seniors receive no follow – up care after they have suffered personal injuries in a slip and fall accident. This is in spite of the fact that it is well- established that follow up – care after a fall can help seniors not just recover quickly, but also learn how to avoid falls in the future. It is also in spite of the fact that slip and fall accidents are a serious health concern for American seniors. For example, one in four seniors above the age of 65 is expected to suffer a slip and fall accident, sending 8 million persons to hospital emergency rooms. Even more worrying is the fact that 27,000 seniors suffer fatal personal injuries in slip and fall accidents, while these accidents also contribute to 800,000 personal injuries every year. In spite of all these facts, many seniors do not return to the emergency room for follow – up visits after suffering head trauma in a fall.
The researchers focused on a group of 1,500 seniors who had suffered injuries in slip and fall accidents, and found that many of them had not returned to their primary care physician for a follow up in the weeks after the slip and fall accident. When seniors did visit a doctor for a follow-up, they were recommended physical therapy as a way to avoid future falls. Physical therapy can help improve balance, gait, coordination and address other physical aspects of aging that can increase a senior’s risk of suffering a slip and fall accident.
In the case of a fall at home, however, it is also important for modifications to be made to the senior’s home environment to reduce the risk of a fall in the future. These modifications can include basic changes like installing sturdy handrails, installing grab bars in bathrooms and other areas and placing shower mats. Basic steps like removing clutter from the floor and eliminating the use of carpets and rugs can also provide a safer fall – proof environment for a senior. Every senior who has suffered a fall should have access to such information from a doctor. Unfortunately, too many seniors who visit a doctor after a fall get very little information about how they can prevent these accidents in the future.
Over the next few weeks, conditions outside are going to get increasingly wet, slippery and difficult to walk on. If you are a senior, make sure you are wearing slip-proof shoes, and avoid going outside in low visibility conditions.
The Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in a fall accident in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If your loved one has suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss his or her legal options for a claim for damages.