Abstract
Falls remain the leading cause of intentional and unintentional injuries worldwide. On average, 80% of the cases are said to originate from low and middle developing countries. The raising concerns are that a great number of children and elderlies above the age of 65 are the most affected. Falls are one of the most serious health risks especially for older adults and children in Namibia. The implications of falls on public health practice are that approximately half of older adults do not discuss their fall incidents with healthcare providers. The aim of this chapter is, therefore, to define the concept falls focusing in the Namibian context and outlining the causes, highlighting the most vulnerable groups, and identifying the preventive measures.
TopBackground Of Falls And Fall Injuries In Namibia
Falls are one of the most serious health risks especially for older adults and children in Namibia. Falls are not only the leading cause of injury-related deaths, but are also a significant cause of disability and constitute about 10% of all emergence cases and more than half of injury-related hospitalizations in Namibia (Bio kinetics Association of Namibia, 2015). Approximately one in three older adults falls each year. As the number of older adults is estimated to increase rapidly over the next decade, the annual cost for fall-related injuries is expected to skyrocket, reaching $44 billion by 2020. Although most falls don’t result in severe physical injuries, a fall or near-fall often produces a psychological fear of falling. This contributes to a self-imposed decrease in activity, followed by functional declines and a greater risk for falls.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Injuries: An injury refers to a damage body tissue caused by the absence energy transfer or energy produced by energy exchanges that have relatively sudden discernible effects ( Langley & Brenner, 2004 ).
Falls: WHO (2018) define a fall as an event which subsequently cause a person to come to rest inadvertently on the ground or floor or other lower level.
Risks: The possibility of something bad or dangerous happening (Online Cambridge dictionary, 2021).
Challenges: A situation needing great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully, or the situation that require great effort (Online Cambridge dictionary, 2021).