Brain injuries from slip and falls are a major risk.
Elderly people are more at risk to suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Most surprisingly, most people are unaware that slip and falls are the leading cause of brain injuries. Not only are falls the leading cause of TBIs, but the highest rate of hospitalizations and deaths resulting from TBIs occur in adults ages 75 and up.
It doesn’t take much to suffer a TBI. Just a bump or jolt to the head can affect how the brain works. The symptoms can be subtle, but devastating. Studies suggests that advanced-age TBI victims recover more slowly than younger people, and death is more common among older victims. Signs of physical injury may not be visible, in fact, some symptoms, such as slower thought processing, confusion and speech impediments may not appear for days and they might be dismissed as a mere sign of getting older. With so many nursing homes, in Media, Springfield, Wallingford and Darby, in Delaware County, it is important for loved ones to be aware of any possible signs of possible brain injury especially if our loved ones may have recently fallen.