A new report shows that many hospital admissions in England for TBI involve people aged over 75. The report found that 40 percent of hospital admissions in 2014/15 for TBI were for people aged over 75. Four of the top five listed causes of TBI in 2014/2015 across all ages were falls, including on or from stairs and steps, and falls on the same level from slipping, tripping and stumbling. ‘Any type of fall’ was listed alongside 54.8 percent of admissions. The fifth top cause of TBI was ‘assault by bodily force’.
Sue Thomas, CEO of Commissioning Excellence, Wilmington Healthcare, said: “This report shows that every year thousands of people in England suffer a TBI and have to live with the long-term physical, cognitive, educational and psychosocial consequences associated with it. Many incidences of TBI are caused by trips and falls, particularly among older people. Raising awareness within primary care of these issues may help to tackle the problem by encouraging a more preventative focus in frailty strategies for our ageing population.”