Everyone might slip and fall at some point in their life. Children or toddlers could fall as they learn to balance and walk properly. Athletes might tumble while competing or practicing. These individuals might suffer physical harm during these incidents, but they could be mild and require little to no medical care. However, other age groups could have significantly different challenges.
Elders tend to suffer from serious harm because of their age and health conditions, making them more prone to experiencing bad falls. Sometimes, their medication could affect their coordination and balance, increasing their risks. Around three million elders go to the emergency room annually for injuries caused by falls. Also, one in five fall incidents leads to severe physical harm, such as head trauma and broken bones. Their injuries tend to require extensive medical care, resulting in considerable expenses that might be too much for them to cover.
Medical costs for falls accumulated over $50 billion in 2015 alone, with only 75% of it receiving Medicare and Medicaid coverage. If a slip-and-fall hospitalizes an older adult, their resources might not be enough to pay for their treatments.
Protecting elders with prevention
Fortunately, older adults and their families could take preventative measures to avoid fall injuries. They could pay attention to preventing foot pain with quality footwear, clearing potential obstructions on the floor and improving balance with light exercise.
However, they might only implement these steps at home. In public, risk factors could be unpredictable, especially in places of business. If an elder falls in a grocery store or shop due to someone else’s negligence, they might be able to pursue compensation, depending on the circumstances. Doing so could help cover their expenses, especially if they sustained severe injuries.