New Study Reveals Alarming Rate of TBIs Among Older Adults

Whether you are in a car accident in Poway or injured as a result of a slip and fall accident on hotel property elsewhere in Southern California, you could be at risk of sustaining a head injury. Many recent studies on traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have focused on both youth athletes as well as adults who have played contact sports and sustained repeated concussions over time. However, a new study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that older adults are also suffering from TBIs at a high rate, and there is an imminent need to consider injury risks among seniors.

What should you know about the recent study? And can older adults seek compensation by filing a brain injury lawsuit? Our Poway brain injury attorneys can tell you more.

High Rate of TBIs Found in Older Adults

The recently published study, conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Health Care System, reveals that about 13% of seniors are diagnosed with TBIs. To put that number another way, about one out of every eight older adults, with an average age of 75, will be diagnosed with a TBI. What is causing most of these injuries? The answer is usually slips and falls, or ground-level falls.

Same-level falls can occur when an older adult loses their balance or is dealing with mobility issues as a result of a fall out of a chair or out of a bed or because of slipping and tripping hazards on floors and various premises. The authors of the study remarked that the rate of TBIs among the older adult population studied was “shockingly high” and identified white female older adults as those most likely to be diagnosed with a brain injury.

TBIs in Seniors Increase Other Serious Health Risks

While younger people often recover from mild TBIs with proper treatment, these injuries can result in additional and serious health issues for older adults. In other words, suffering a TBI when you are in your 60s, 70s, or older can ultimately mean a reduced quality of life and the possibility of additional diseases that ultimately may be fatal.

According to the authors of the JAMA Network Open study, TBIs that occur in adults aged 65 and up “increase the likelihood of a number of serious conditions, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and seizures, as well as cardiovascular disease and psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety.” Accordingly, it is extremely important to take preventive measures and to hold parties accountable when their negligence causes a TBI in an older adult.

Contact a Brain Injury Lawyer in Poway, California

Brain injuries, including concussions, can affect people of all ages. We know that younger people and adults more broadly can experience long-term harm after sustaining multiple concussions, and the recently published study highlights how older adults are also at great risk of serious consequences from head trauma. If you have an elderly loved one who recently sustained a head injury in a fall or another type of accident, it may be possible to file a personal injury lawsuit against the party or parties who are liable. An experienced Poway injury lawyer can speak with you today about your options. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can help you.

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