Getting older can be dangerous, but aging isn’t the reason senior citizens fall. Aging people are indeed more prone to losing their balance, though there are other factors behind these types of accidents.
According to Jacksonville personal injury lawyers, serious falls can leave senior citizens dependent on caregivers for the rest of their lives. Since these accidents are the main cause of injury to adults aged 65 and older, it is important to watch out for your aging loved ones.
The CDC estimates that around 36 million falls are reported every year for older adults. While many of these slip-and-fall accidents happen at home, there are a number of them that happen in other places. Helping your loved ones as they age can prevent these accidents, which in many cases can be fatal.
What Causes Senior Slip and Fall Accidents?
The majority of all slip and fall accidents are preventable since many have to do with the environment. If your elderly loved one lives on a property that they do not own, it may be the landlord’s responsibility to upkeep their residence.
When light bulbs burn out and make it hard for aging eyes to see, flooring is worn down to the point it becomes slippery. If handrails are loose on staircases, these things can be dangerous.
In your loved one’s home, you can do your part by ensuring there are anti-skid mats around and that the environment is easy to navigate. But if the landlord has left things in a state of disrepair or repeatedly ignores repair requests, it might be time to speak to a personal injury lawyer.
All too often, these slips and falls happen after circumstances like these. They could have been prevented by making the right adjustments promptly. Instead, your loved one is left injured and in need of round-the-clock care.
Other Reasons Elderly People Slip and Fall
Through the process of aging, body parts wear out and aren’t as finely tuned as they once were. This means eyesight starts failing, muscles become weaker, and balance is more challenging.
Additionally, seniors with arthritis are more likely to fall as well as suffer serious injuries from those falls. Even if they have a cane or other support apparatus, it may not prevent falls in public places that should be properly maintained. As such, your loved one may be in the hospital for a while recovering from injuries that shouldn’t have happened.
Medications may also impair the elderly, especially if they are taking multiple prescriptions. Side effects like blurred vision or dizziness can make falls more likely. It is important to get involved with their medical care to ensure all medications are necessary and aren’t causing danger.
What Hazardous Conditions Make Seniors Fall?
If you have an aging person in your life, you will want to do everything you can to help them prevent slip and fall accidents. While it is easier to control these things when they come to your home or when you visit theirs, it is far more difficult in public places.
The things that can lead your loved one to suffer a slip and fall outside the home may be wet flooring in stores without signage to warn store patrons, loose rugs in shops, wobbly railings, and lack of adequate lighting.
Property owners have a duty to ensure that the conditions they keep are safe for everyone. If it was found that they were negligent in the upkeep, they could be at fault for your loved one’s slip and fall accident.
What to Do If Your Aging Relative Suffers a Slip and Fall Accident
Since slips and falls can come with severe injuries and deadly consequences, you will want to speak to an experienced personal injury lawyer about your case. Even though health conditions do deteriorate with age and can’t be prevented, many accidents can be avoided by simply taking care to ensure that properties are safe for everyone.
If you or a loved one has had a slip and fall accident, sit down for a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer to review the facts surrounding your incident. In the event this was due to a negligent property owner, you can file a lawsuit for compensation to cover the medical bills and other damages incurred by this accident.