- 33% occurred because seniors were not taking medication correctly
- 30% occurred because of falls - in fact, the average is one fall per year for individuals over 65 years of age
- 30% unable to complete all activities of daily living (separate research I've read suggests that normally the loss of a single activity is enough to push one over the edge - often this is as simple as toileting).
- 30% occurred because of caregiver burnout
The numbers don't add up to 100%, I know, so it's usually a combination of factors and like life it's complicated. I was shocked by item number 4 - this isn't a reason someone should lose independence - and it's costly: it's about $5500 per month on average for an assisted living center. So, I'm trying to do something about these causes . . . we're starting a company locally to provide lower cost support services and use relatively simple technology and support services packaged simply to see if people will buy into a little bit of prevention.
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