A nationwide survey found that older Americans are concerned about potential injuries and costs that occur with falls. Specifically, 71% of older Americans are worried about falling while 42% have had a personal experience with the fall in their household.
Access to physical and occupational therapists who can conduct falls risk assessments, which could put in place preventative services, aren’t covered by Medicare’s annual wellness visits or physical exams. The legislation Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act would make that possible without any out-of-pocket costs. According to the survey of 1,000 older adults 65 and up, 87% of older Americans support the SAFE Act, including 90% of Democrats and 81% of Republicans. Additionally, 69% of seniors surveyed said they will be more likely to vote for a candidate that supports the SAFE Act.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there will be about 52 million falls every year by 2030 — that’s more than one fall every second of every day.
“Seniors desperately want access to no-cost falls risk assessments and their overwhelming support of the SAFE Act speaks volumes,” Nikesh Patel, executive director of the Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation, said in a statement.
The survey comes as a study published June 13 in The Journal of Emergency Medicine reported that 13 out of 3,425 patients (0.4%) in a study had delayed intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) — a much lower rate than previously reported. The type of hemorrhage can occur after a fall. Other reports have suggested rates were much higher, as high as 7.2%, for delayed ICH in older adults on anticoagulants who sustain a head injury, sparking debate over management practices.
