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ICD-10 Coding Uncovers Higher Rate of Fatal Falls Among Seniors
"We can try to improve bone health, either with proper diet and vitamins or other treatments. And we can teach people about hazards in the home, the importance of wearing footwear that's not likely to contribute to slips and falls, and improving wheelchairs so they won't move when a person stands up or sits down," she says.
The information should also send an important message to building planners and architects, especially as they plan housing for the nation's growing population of seniors. "Some years ago, architects thought it was cute to have one or two steps between the kitchen or living room," which hasn't turned out to be an excellent way to increase the risk of falls.
Baker's report is based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics Compressed Mortality File.
Cheryl Clark is senior quality editor and California correspondent for HealthLeaders Media. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.
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Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
DonS (5/22/2012 at 1:54 PM)
As a non-supporter of ICD-10, I was very eager to learn of a benefit of the coding. This FALLS short (pun intended!) People fall and have complications of pnuemonia or surgery so the cause of death is FALL!? Why not make cause of death WALKING? The walking led to the fall which led to the pnuemonia. I realize that I dont have the full report, but anyone who uses this report to tout the benefits of ICD-10 is really grasping at straws!