Falls have been a leading cause of injury for older Americans for decades, and the data on this problem is startling. As a Physical Therapist with Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health for nearly 12 years now, I can attest to the number of home health patients we treat annually due to a fall. Research compiled by the CDC finds:
- In 2018, approximately 36 million falls occurred among people aged 65 and over in the US, and of that number, there were roughly 8 million injuries.(1)
- One out of every 5 falls among older adults causes a serious injury, such as a broken bone or a head injury.
- In fact, falls are the most common cause for traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
- If you are curious about the cost of all this falling to the healthcare system, annually it totals close to 50 billion dollars for non-fatal falls, and another 750 million dollars for fatal falls.
- NH actually has a higher than average rate of deaths due to falling, with a rate of 109 deaths per 100,000 falls annually. The national average is 66-68 deaths per 100,000 falls.
The WHO has reported that people over the age of 75 tend to fall more frequently in their homes, while those younger than age 75 seem to fall outside more often. Prior surveys found that around 30% of falls in the home happened in the living room, while another 30% were occurring in the bedroom. 19% of falls from this data set took place in the bathroom.
As for the reasons why people fall, there are numerous contributing causes. Many times, a person who falls will have several issues that weigh in against them. The evidence shows the likelihood of falls can be influenced by many factors including:
- A prior fall. This is often the single strongest predictor of further falls.
- Weakness of the leg or hip muscles. This can contribute to poor balance and slower reaction times, making it harder to stop a fall if a person stumbles or bumps into something
- Poor vision, which also influences balance
- Use of medications such as sedatives, some pain killers, or anti- depressants. Some of these may cause drowsiness or slower reactions.
- Joint pain, especially in the feet, ankles, knees or hips.
- Trip/slip hazards in the home such as clutter, objects lying in hallways, poor lighting, high thresholds, liquid spilled onto floors.
Fortunately, there are some effective options available to help reduce the chances of falling. The CDC has published a manual titled “A CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions”. The first item they go over is exercise. Studies have repeatedly shown that specially designed exercises aimed at weak muscles and poor balance can be effective for many people in reducing falls.
The second item in the CDC Compendium effective for reducing falls was modification to the living environment. This might consist of things like making sure there is adequate lighting, getting rid of broken down old footwear, installing color contrasting tape on stairs, or getting a shower chair and hand-held shower attachment in place.
For over 55 years, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health has been providing services exactly as I have described above, to people in Grafton County, right in their homes. Our agency has highly trained, caring Occupational and Physical Therapists who can bring their expertise to your home and give you the right guidance on what you should do to reduce your chances of a fall. We can create custom home exercise programs and recommend practical, effective ways to modify your living environment for better safety. While our outpatient OT and PT service has now transitioned to operating thru the Mid-State Health Center, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health continues to provide top quality in-home OT, PT, and Nursing care. For more details, call or check our website www.pbhha.org.
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With over 55 years of experience, serving clients from 29 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and Community Programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver Support Groups and Grief and Bereavement Support Groups. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.
Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org Like our Facebook Page: @pemibakerhospicehomehealth
~written by Ernest Roy PT DPT, Quality Director PBH&HH
Adults, young adults, and in some cases mature teens from all backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Effective hospice volunteers embrace the fact that their role is one of compassionate service.
Contact Shannon Cassidy, Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health’s Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at 603-536-2232 or email her at 
Another benefit that at-home therapy provides, is the opportunity to assess the safety and accessibility of the home environment. A therapist’s trained eyes can spot fall hazards or bathroom dangers and provide helpful preventive advice.
The existence of hospice makes this level of freedom available to many who otherwise would not have had it. Hospice care offers 24/7 clinical support, medication and pain management, assistance with daily living activities, medical supplies and equipment, volunteer support and companionship, social, spiritual and grief support from social workers and chaplains, for the whole family.
The elderly who wish to retain the freedom of staying in their home and ending their lives on their own terms experience true psychological benefits. Their comfortable surroundings allow them to end their lives with a sense of dignity, which is incredibly valuable. In fact, home care harkens back to older days, when tending to the terminally ill at home was the standard. There’s always the added benefit of being closer to their loved ones in their final days.
With over 50 years of experience, serving clients from 28 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and aquatic therapy in their 90-degree therapy pool. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.
Through all this, we see Alice’s progressive deterioration through the loss of her teaching career, her advancing inability to recognize those closest to her, disorientation within her own home, an interrupted suicide attempt, her husband’s decision to relocate in favor of his professional betterment, and the loving self-sacrifice of Lydia to care for her. Despite the wasting away of the many qualities that made her the person she had been, she remains “still Alice” in a brief moment of recall when she is able to identify the importance of love.
“The Father” features Olivia Colman (currently seen as Queen Elizabeth II in Seasons Three and Four of the series “The Crown”). For her portrayal as Anne, Anthony’s daughter, Colman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
What to do about emerging potentially aggressive behaviors? How to live with the strain imposed on other intimate relationships? When does one arrive at the point of surrendering caregiving to a corps of providers in a setting that may better manage the patient’s needs? Hopkins’ masterful performance in this intense drama can be seen on You Tube, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.
