Thursday, July 02, 2009
Improper cane, walker use leads to falls among seniors: study
Older adults need to use walkers and canes more safely, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study (.pdf file) cautions.
Study researchers examined emergency room medical records from 2001 to 2006 and found that an average of 129 Americans 65 and older were treated each day in ERs for injuries from falls that involved walkers and canes. Fractures were the most common injury, and 1 out of every 3 injuries required hospitalization, the report found.
Among other findings:
- Older adults were 7 times more likely to be injured in a fall with a walker than with a cane.
- Older women sustained 78 percent of walker injuries and 66 percent of all cane-related injuries.
Page 1 of 1 pages