Many unexpected places to fall for the elderly, where?The risk of a spouseless elderly fall is twice as high
Sep 03, 2025
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According to a 2024 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) release, the proportion of fall accident cases among the elderly over 70 years of age increased by 2.1 times compared to 2014, indicating that women are more vulnerable to falls than men. Falls are high enough to rank second among the causes of death in elderly accidents. Falls that threaten the lives of older people, where is the most frequent occurrence?
◇60-70% of falls are 'Indoor'…The fracture of the old man with weak bones continues
Fallings are believed to occur a lot during icy roads or outdoor activities, but in reality, about 60-70% of all falls occur indoors. Accidents usually occur when you change your posture in bed or chair, when you slip in the bathroom, or when you lose your balance while walking.
Older people with weakened bones and muscles can lead to fractures such as hip fractures or spinal compression fractures even in small falls, which can lead to reduced walking ability and complications such as lower limb venous thrombosis, bedsores, and pneumonia. In particular, once you fall, the risk of re-falling is more than doubled, so life management and improvement of the environment in the house to prevent falls are paramount.
◇ Mortality rate up to 70% if hip fracture is not properly treated
According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 98% of patients who visited the hospital due to hip fractures were hospitalized last year, of which 89.9% of all patients were in their 70s and 80s. The mortality rate within a year of the elderly who have experienced hip fractures increases to 20-30%, and the mortality rate increases to 70% if treatment is delayed or not properly performed.
Hip fractures, also called elderly fractures, fracture the part connecting the thigh and pelvis, and are the most important injuries among fall fracture accidents in the elderly.
In particular, the femoral neck fracture, which is the upper part of the femur connected to the pelvis, takes a considerable amount of time to recover and interferes with walking. As a result, long-term bedtime can lead to fatal complications such as pneumonia, bedsores, heart attacks caused by blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and strokes. Therefore, even if it is a small fall accident, it is advisable to visit a hospital as soon as possible if you have symptoms such as back, buttocks pain, or limp.
Director Um Sang-hyun (Orthopedic Surgeon), director of the Fall Medical Center at Barunseang Hospital, said "Most elderly patients have advanced osteoporosis, causing the fracture site to be easily crushed, and the fixation device is not firmly fixed to the bone, which poses a high risk of failure to fix and nonunion." In particular, in the case of a femoral neck fracture, a dislocation at the fracture site is likely to result in traumatic bloodless necrosis due to damage to the blood vessels supplied to the femoral head. In this case, hip arthroplasty is required""Microfractures without potential may require a close examination such as MRI because initial diagnosis is difficult. When treatment begins in the fracture stage without potential, recovery is relatively fast and the risk of complications is reduced. If an elderly fall accident occurs, it is important to respond quickly. Early diagnosis and treatment are the key to reducing mortality.
◇ Double the risk of a spouseless elderly fall...Installation of mats, handles, etc
In order to prevent falls, exercise that develops lower body strength and a sense of balance, drug and nutrition management, and improvement of the environment at home are essential. In particular, it is reported that the risk of falling is twice as high in the case of elderly people without spouses, so more attention should be paid to preparing for the risk of falling.
For indoor safety, it is recommended to install ▲bathroom non-slip mats and handles ▲Floor wire arrangement ▲Remove door bumps ▲Improve illumination. In addition, lighting should be properly arranged when moving to the bathroom in the bed at night so that you can get help in securing your vision.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
