United States: Every year, over 14 million seniors fall and the consequences of that can be traumatic.
Falls and Cognitive Decline
“The relationship between falls and dementia appears to be a two-way street,” said Molly Jarman of a new study which revealed that while the early stages of impaired thinking may raise the chance of the senior individual falling, the subsequent trauma can further worsen the dementia condition, as reported by HealthDay.
The study by Jarman from the Center for Surgery and Public Health of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston also points out that falls are one of the most frequent causes of patients’ admission to trauma centers and still remain the leading injury cause among elderly people.
“Thus, falls may be able to act as precursor events that can help us identify people who need further cognitive screening,” Jarman said in a hospital news release.
Key Findings from the Study
Her team analyzed Medicare claims data of over 2.4 million older adults who had a traumatic injury and their condition after one year.
Of all the patients, 50% had a fall. Out of those patients, 10.6 percent were later diagnosed with dementia, researchers discovered. Falls raised the possibility of getting a future dementia diagnosis by 21%.
As such, the researchers suggest that older adults who report to the hospital for care after a fall should be screened for cognitive impairment either in the ER or the hospital. They said that such screening could allow elderly people who require treatment for deteriorating health of the brain to do so at an earlier time.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 older adults have a fall annually, and the cost of these falls exceed $50 billion.
“We treat the injuries, provide rehabilitation, but often overlook the underlying risk factors that contribute to falls, despite a growing body of evidence suggesting a link between falls and cognitive decline,” he said.
A Call for Comprehensive Care
He said that, ideally, older adults who fall should see their primary care doctor or geriatrician, a doctor who specializes in elder care, to evaluate the person’s thinking abilities and overall recovery. For example, he noted that many seniors do not have a PCP and cannot see a geriatrician, as reported by HealthDay.
“Our study highlights the opportunity to intervene early and the need for more clinicians who can provide comprehensive care for older adults,” Ordoobadi said.