Geriatric slips, trips and falls: 3 assessment considerations
On-scene considerations for EMS assessment for evaluating lift-assistance calls and making transportation decisions for geriatric fall patients
“Each year, millions of older people – those 65 and older – fall,” the CDC reports.
Whether it’s caused by body weakness, vitamin deficiency, balance issues, vision problems, or simply poor footwear, falls are no small stumbling matter.
In fact, death rates due to falls in the U.S. have increased by 30% from 2007 to 2016 for older adults, and at this current rate, could lead to seven fall deaths every hour by the year 2030, according to the CDC.
At the forefront of many falls by elder – geriatric – patients, is our response: an EMS presence.