Study suggests that increase in fall injuries are associated with new forms of disabilities
A new study at the Yale School of Medicine throws a possible link between ailments and afflictions, limiting the capacity of aging adults to aggravated dysfunctional abilities. The findings of the study will be presented at JAMA by Thomas M. Gill, M.D., the Humana Foundation Professor of internal medicine (geriatrics), investigative medicine and epidemiology and public health at Yale.
"We now have a much better understanding of the complex and highly dynamic disabling process," said Gill, who is also an attending physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Inability to perform vital functions is the primary cause, for engaging day care services for aging adult’s and geriatric people. Medical experts also indicate that aging adults have shown an inclining trend of convalescence from specific ailments.
Gill indicated higher incidences of improvement and intermittent transformations in states of detrimental illnesses. He also added that “the role of intervening illnesses and injuries on these transitions was little understood until this study shed some light on it.”
The study tracked seven hundred and fifty four adults, aged seventy and above from Greater New Haven. The Researchers evaluated the increased association between instances related to being hospitalized and limited ability to discharge functions, and between lack of detrimental illnesses, severe forms of disability, mild disability, and mortality.
The likely possibilities for being hospitalized or limited ability to discharge daily functions were related to fall injuries. Afflictions related to falls contributed to distinct and other aggravated forms of ailments.
Gill suggested that there could be increased incidences of disabled aging Americans in the years to come. "To address this increase, more aggressive efforts will be needed to prevent and manage intervening illnesses and injuries, given their apparent role in precipitating and perpetuating the disabling process," said Gill.