Ice, snow, slippery sidewalks and roads: the chance of an unfortunate fall lurks during these winter days. The elderly are particularly at risk. Every four minutes in the Netherlands, a person over 65 ends up in the emergency room after a fall. Innovations, such as the ‘hip airbag’, can prevent a lot of suffering.
The invisible epidemic, as it is already called in the medical world: the sharply increasing number of falls. Every day, seventeen people die in the Netherlands as a result of an accidental fall, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands.
That is twice as much as ten years ago. This makes falls by far the most common non-natural cause of death in our country. The elderly are particularly at risk. Every four minutes a person over 65 ends up in an emergency room.
This often turns out to be the harbinger of even more misery: complications can arise during an operation and self-reliance can be seriously affected.
Top crowds
The winter weather is an additional risk factor that should not be underestimated. In particular, black ice – a treacherous thin layer of ice on frozen ground that you can barely see – causes an increase in the number of falls.
The emergency department in Limburg hospitals worked overtime at the end of last week when many roads were slippery. The VieCuri in Venlo reports that there was ‘top crowds’ last Friday. The waiting room was also overcrowded at the Laurentius Hospital in Roermond. Hip and wrist fractures in particular were the result of the many falls, on foot or by bicycle. And the wintery weather will continue for the time being: a fair amount of snow is expected in Limburg, especially on Wednesday.
More reserved
The impact of a fall can be significant, says Frank Amory, elderly care program manager at ZIO, a healthcare company in Maastricht and Heuvelland. “Take a hip fracture: the risk of death in the elderly increases enormously. I notice that people are becoming increasingly cautious about operations. Because the risks are sometimes greater than with no surgery.”
Aging population plays a major role in the increase in the number of falls. According to data from Statistics Netherlands, elderly people over the age of ninety and people who are cared for due to dementia are the largest risk groups. But more and more vital elderly people are also suffering a fracture.
Amory: “The enormous popularity of e-bikes is an important cause of this. As a result, there are more falls. That is a remarkable contradiction: you want people to exercise more, but the result is also more falls.”
Tai Chi
To dampen the ‘invisible epidemic’ as much as possible, The Hague has set aside fifty million euros per year for fall prevention. Many healthcare organizations offer a variety of courses, from leg strengthening exercises to an exercise program based on Tai Chi, the originally Chinese martial art where balance and muscle strength play a major role.
New technical innovations can also prevent a lot of misery. The ‘hip airbag’, for example, is astonishing. This consists of small air cushions placed in trousers. Sensors signal whether a falling movement is taking place. The cushions then inflate very quickly to break the fall.
Research by the Leiden University Center shows that the airbag can prevent almost half of the number of hip and pelvic fractures. More than sixty healthcare institutions in the Netherlands already work with it.
Non-slip shoes
But even simple measures can avert much suffering. For example, wear non-slip shoes on slippery surfaces. Be careful when drinking alcohol: it not only impairs your balance and reaction time, but also weakens your muscles, increasing the risk of falls.
Do you still get on your bike despite the winter weather? Then lower your saddle a little and make sure that the tires are not over-inflated: then you will have more grip on the road and the chance of falling is smaller. And perhaps the best tip: if it is icy or snowing outside and you do not necessarily have to go out, stay at home.