Accidents and unintentional injuries among older adults are a major public health problem that, with the exception of falls, has received relatively little attention compared to their occurrence in other age groups and to other health problems among seniors. Injuries to older adults are costly to the health‐care system and often have serious consequences to the individual. Injuries can lead to an irreversible decline in function, institutionalization, and even death.

Many injuries are related to physical changes that accompany the aging process. These include changes in eyesight that reduce depth and color perception, increased susceptibility to glare, and alterations in blood circulation that can result in dizziness and loss of balance. Changes in walking patterns, for example taking shorter and shallower steps, increase the risk of tripping. In addition, reaction times can increase, resulting in a reduced ability to rapidly react to danger. Other changes that may contribute to accidents include decreased cognitive skills and reduction or loss of the senses.

Falls

The most common type of accident in older persons is falling. Persons above 75 have relatively more injury‐related deaths than any other age group; people aged 65 through 74 follow close behind. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2003 more than 1.8 million older adults (aged 65 and older) were treated in emergency departments for fall‐related injuries and more than 421,000 were hospitalized.

Automobile‐Related Accidents

The second most common type of injury results from automobile‐related accidents. According to the Institute of Transportation Engineers, older drivers are increasingly mobile and most Americans continue to drive as they age, with 75% aged 70 and older reporting that they still drove in 2001, up from 73% in 1995. Per mile driven, elderly drivers (those above 80) are more likely to die in a crash than any other age group. Although older drivers drive far fewer miles than younger drivers, in a crash of the same severity, they are more likely to be injured or to die because of their frailty.

The increase in the number of older drivers killed in traffic accidents is occurring as older Americans form a greater portion of the overall population. The older segment of the population (65 and older) grew nearly twice as fast as the total population between 1990 and 2000, and the number of older Americans will only increase as baby boomers start to turn 65 in 2011. The US Census Bureau estimates that one in five people will be 65 or older by 2030.

Accidental Poisoning and Overdose

When speaking of accidental poisoning, we often think of children, but more unintentional poisoning deaths actually occur among the elderly than among young children. The elderly are at particular risk for misuse of prescribed medication due to the large number of medications they may be required to take, interactions between or among medications, and decreased cognitive abilities to understand the doctor's instructions. Older adults may receive prescriptions from more than one physician and purchase medications from different pharmacies without informing either doctors or pharmacists about the other medications they are taking. Unfortunately, since mixing medications may result in hospitalization and/or death, the problem of mixing prescription medications is underdiagnosed. In addition, some older adults may drink alcohol, which interacts adversely with many medications, particularly with such drugs as barbiturates, sedatives, and tranquilizers, and the combined effects can be deadly.

Burns

Burns are another cause of accidents in the home. These may result from water heaters being set too high, house fires caused by smoking, unsafe heaters or frayed electrical cords, and scald injuries from hot foods, grease, and cooking liquids. Older persons may be at greater risk for these types of accidents due to decreased cognitive skills and reaction time.

Other Causes of Injury or Accidents

There are many other causes of accidents that affect older persons. During winter months, unventilated heaters may be used causing accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Older adults may be at greater risk for accidental cuts while using knives or other sharp instruments while preparing meals due to decreased reactions or reduced depth perception. Active older adults are also susceptible to sports injuries, drowning, and other accidents that affect the general population.

Related Topics

Adverse drug reaction, Driving safety, Falling