EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION MOCK-UP of Washington Post article: Why are falls so serious in older people?
Illustration by GKJcreates
MOCK-up of March 9 article in the Washington Post, written by Marlene Cimons
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a concussion and has been hospitalized after he tripped and fell at a hotel. The senator will stay in the hospital for observation and treatment, his spokesman said Thursday.
The news highlights the risks of falling that older adults face. It’s not the first tumble for the 81-year-old, who fractured a shoulder in 2019 in a fall outside his Louisville home.
Every year, millions of Americans older than 65 experience falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This translates to 1 in 4 older adults falling, resulting in more than 800,000 emergency department visits, with 1 in 5 of the falls resulting in serious injuries such as broken hips or other bone fractures, or head trauma, according to CDC. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in this age group, the CDC says.
