New Research in Fall Prevention has California Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers Intrigued

Every year, the costs from slip and fall accidents involving the elderly in the US reach almost $75 billion. This includes in-home care after a fall, assisted living care, and the extensive medical costs associated with the treatment of the fracture and other conditions that normally occur after a fall. Considering the cost of fall-related expenses California slip and fall accident lawyers find it surprising that so little research has been done into how to prevent falls, especially in persons above the age of 65.

According to statistics more than 1/3 of the people in this age group suffer a fall accident every year. Among those who suffer a hip fracture, approximate 20 percent will die within one year.  Typically, fall accidents in the elderly occur because of some health conditions like cardiovascular illness or medication changes. The elderly may also be more prone to slip and fall accidents when they begin to suffer from dementia or muscle degeneration.

Studying fall prevention has been the focus of just a few geriatric health experts who tend to base their studies on visits to doctors and self reports from volunteers. The results of this studies fluctuate, and offer very little new insight into the frequent causes of slip and fall accidents in elder population. These past studies have failed to see how these factors can be controlled, reducing the possibility of a slip and fall accident.

As the New York Times reports, fall prevention research is beginning to get very innovative. Researchers are using low-cost, wireless sensors in the homes of the elderly, to monitor their walking patterns. This is done to calculate the kind of activities they perform that place them at an increased risk of a fall. According to the researchers, the continuous monitoring of these activity patterns and the fine precision made possible by using sensors can offer fresh insights into fall risk factors in the elderly, helping to develop prevention programs.

The sensors are concealed in the carpets and clothing, and help monitor the person’s speed of walking, their stride length, step width, as well as the sway of the body as they walk. All of these are measurements are very precise thanks to the sensors, and help in calculating the person’s risk of a fall. There have been a few such sensor-related studies conducted by geriatric health experts.  These studies have helped to understand why the elderly are more predisposed to falls, and how these risks can be reduced.

For instance, a person who suffers from congested heart failure may feel the need to visit the bathroom several times in a single night. If the person’s heart condition is under control, then this need to visit the bathroom frequently can be reduced simply by lowering the dosage of his diuretic. This can reduce the person’s chances of suffering a fall by reducing the amount of trips to the bathroom.

California slip and fall accident attorneys, who are constantly monitoring developments in the field of fall prevention, hope that these studies can lead to an enhanced quality of life for the elderly.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of slip and fall. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.