In the past year, I’ve seen first-hand how devastating a fall can be to an elderly person. My 84-year-old father has fallen twice in his independent living apartment. The first time, he was on the floor for about 36 hours before he was found; the second time, he was down for about five hours. He has been very lucky – he has recovered fully from both incidents, with no long-term effects. In fact, I think his two artificial hips have actually been a blessing in these  falls – his right hip did dislocate both times, but doctors were able to pop it back into place; had this been his natural hip, it likely would have broken, leading to a much more difficult recovery.

The sad reality is that falls are one of the most common causes of accidental death in the elderly. A series this week in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of falls in Minnesota nursing homes; I have to believe this is a similar problem nationwide, and not just in nursing homes but in assisted living facilities, independent living communities and private homes. In her commentary on the series, Star-Tribune editor and senior vice-president Nancy Barnes writes, “I urge our readers not to look away, despite the distressing nature of these stories. Nothing is more certain in life than death; we can only hope that we will be allowed the gift of dignity. In many of these stories, that is simply not the case.”

The investigative article is long and, at times, difficult to read. But it is important. Worth sharing. As one doctor quoted in the  article states, “”I think if you asked a person on the street, not one of them would know that if you take the frequency of falling and the consequences of falling, it’s as big a problem as heart attacks and strokes.” My father was one of the lucky ones. For many elderly people, a single fall can trigger a rapid decline in health. I hope you will take a few minutes to read this article. And I hope you’ll share your thoughts by leaving a comment.