What You Should Know about Traumatic Brain Injuries
September 20, 2017
Senior Care in Saratoga CA: Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries, also referred to as TBIs, are incredibly dangerous injuries that are, unfortunately, particularly common among elderly adults. There are many reasons why seniors tend to be more vulnerable to these injuries, but as a family caregiver it is critical that you understand these injuries, how they occur, and how they can impact your senior so that you can make the changes necessary to improve their safety and boost their quality of life. Some things that you should know about traumatic brain injuries:
- TBIs are a leading cause of both disability and death in the United States.
- TBI contributes to approximately 30 percent of all injury-related deaths each year.
- More than 150 people die in the U.S. each day as a result of injuries involving TBI.
- Nearly 3 million people visit the emergency room each year as a result of TBI.
- Falls are the leading cause of TBI, with approximately 47 percent of all deaths, hospitalizations, and visits to the emergency room related to TBI caused by falls.
- Seniors over the age of 75 are at the highest risk of suffering TBI due to a fall.
- Falls are the leading cause of TBI-related death among seniors, while motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause for younger adults.
- Hospitalization and emergency room visit rates are highest among older adults over the age of 75.
- Approximately 4 out of every 5 deaths, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations due to TBI among seniors over the age of 64 were caused by falls.
- This number accounts for 79 percent of all such incidents.
- Approximately 14 percent of deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits caused by TBI are as a result of motor vehicle accidents.
Starting senior care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make for them during the course of your caregiver journey. A senior home care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they have consistent access to the level of care that they need, while also fostering independence and keeping your care efforts at the forefront of their routine. Through a highly personalized set of services, this care provider can help to ensure that your parent stays happy, healthy, comfortable, and safe, while supporting a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, and fulfilling as possible as they age in place. As their family caregiver, this can give you peace of mind that any care gaps that might exist in your routine will be filled efficiently and effectively, and that your parent can enjoy a higher quality of life.
If you or your loved one is looking for senior care in Saratoga, CA, please call Familiar Surroundings Home Care.
Santa Clara County: (408) 979-9990
San Mateo County: (650) 353-9777
Santa Cruz County: (831) 480-3990
Sources https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/brain-injury-statistics/
http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/basics/definition/con-20029302