Senior Healthcare

The most common reasons for hospital admission in seniors aged 65-84 is joint replacement of the lower extremity (knee and hip) and other conditions and surgeries related to other joint injury. There are 466,325 admissions each year for this group of diagnoses. Some of these are preventable because the injury is caused by falls. In fact, according to the CDC, more than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States, and among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. Older adults can take several steps to protect their independence and reduce their risk of falling.

They can:

• Exercise regularly to increase strength and improve balance.
• Ask their doctor or pharmacist to review their medicines to reduce side effects and interactions.
• Have their eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year.
• Improve the lighting in their home.
• Reduce hazards in their home that can lead to falls.

The facts are that less than 20 percent of Americans have an advance directive in place. Of those who do have an advance directive, up to 75 percent of their physicians remain unaware of it. That means that only about one in 20 Americans are in position to feel secure that their wishes will be respected if they lose the ability to directly control their own care. When there is no advance directive, families are placed in the painful position of having to make decisions for their loved ones, and this often pits one side of a family against another. Doctors may be left having to institute invasive and aggressive treatments simple because they have no choice. You should make an advance directive not just for your sake, but also for your family.