Following is an excerpt from California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Twice a day, the 86-year-old man went for long walks and visited with neighbors along the way. Then, one afternoon he fell while mowing his lawn. In the emergency room, doctors diagnosed a break in his upper arm and put him in a sling.
Back at home, this former World War II Navy pilot found it hard to manage on his own but stubbornly declined help. Soon overwhelmed, he didn’t go out often, his congestive heart failure worsened, and he ended up in a nursing home a year later, where he eventually passed away.
To read more about this individual’s experience and how an older person’s trip to the ER often signals a serious health challenge and should serve as a wake-up call for caregivers and relatives, CLICK HERE.
