|
|
|
| |
News - Advocate Lutheran Gen Hosp, Park Ridge Illinois USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Advocate Lutheran Gen Hosp |
| Advocate Lutheran General Hospital offers tips for fall prevention |
| Date : - 06/04/2009 |
|
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, the leading cause of TBI is falls, at 28 percent. Advocate Lutheran General Hospital admitted 1,092 patients last year for injuries sustained in falls – 469 of them suffered concussions or severe head injuries.
“Fall rates are highest for children up to four years of age and adults 75 years or older,” said Kathy Tanouye, R.N., and manager of trauma services at the hospital. “For older people, the risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than men. What most people don’t know is that two-thirds of those who experience a fall will fall again within six months.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 3.17 million Americans currently have long-term or lifelong need for help to perform daily activities as a result of a TBI, which can cause physical, cognitive and behavioral impairment.
The injury prevention team offers the following tips to make your home safer and to help prevent falls:
* Remove things you can trip over: throw rugs, shoes,
boxes and stacks of papers
* Use handrails on stairways: make sure they are
secure
* Ensure your home is well-lit: use higher wattage
light bulbs
* Use non-slip mats and rugs in the bathroom
* Exercise: increased strength and agility lessens
the likelihood of a fall
* Review all medications and be sure to discuss with
your doctor if medicines make you feel drowsy or
lightheaded
“The best cure for a brain injury is prevention,” said Tanouye.
|
|
| Reference : - www.advocatehealth.com/luth/ |
| Back To List |
|
|
|
|
|
| Copyright © 2024 Medical Tour Information All Rights Reserved |
|