09/21/2020
Now that summer is over, let’s talk about fall(s) ⚠️ (not 🍂🎃).
🔸Approximately 1/3 of community-living older adults fall at least once every year, and the incidence increases with age.
🔸Patients with neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis, stroke or Alzheimer’s disease (AD), experience falls more frequently. Reports suggest that 80% of these patients experience at least one fall in a year and typically many experience multiple falls.
🔸Between 5 and 10% of falls result in serious injuries, such as head injuries or fractures.
🔸Even when there is no physical injury after a fall, approximately 1/3 of older adults develop a fear of falling that leads to self-imposed restrictions in mobility, reduced activity, depression, social isolation and subsequent increased fall risk.
🔸In 2008, nonfatal and fatal fall-related costs were estimated at $23.3 billion in the USA alone, accounting for 0.85–1.5% of total healthcare expenditures.
What does all of this mean⁉️.
Falls are common, costly, and often have serious consequences. BUT, therapy techniques implemented by a Speech-Language Pathologist, designed to improve certain aspects of cognitive function (specifically attention and executive functioning) may also enhance gait and reduce the risk of falls ✅✅✅
[Information obtained from Segev-Jacubovski et al. 2011]
