In our society, we naturally want to protect members who cannot protect themselves from harm as easily. These members often include the physically and mentally disabled, pregnant women, children, and the elderly. Doctors and other medical professionals often give special care to these individuals because of the unique ways that injuries, including brain injuries, can affect them.
If you are a parent, a grandparent, or a caregiver for a child or an elderly loved one, familiarize yourself with the unique ways a brain injury can affect a child or an elderly adult. These are two groups that are more susceptible to suffering from brain injuries than the general population because they are the most likely to suffer falls.
Traumatic Brain Injuries in the Elderly
Americans over the age of 75 have the highest rate of suffering from traumatic brain injuries due to falls out of any age group. Older adults who suffer from traumatic brain injuries are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease than those who have not. Individuals who have suffered from brain injuries are also at a greater risk of suffering other physical injuries, experience a greater loss of endurance and physical strength, and are more likely to suffer from social isolation than others.
The best way to prevent a brain injury in an elderly adult is to minimize falling hazards. Installing handrails in a senior’s home and making use of secured carpets and non-slip surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen can make an individual less susceptible to falling and suffering from a brain injury.
Traumatic Brain Injuries in Children
Children, especially children and adolescents who participate in contact sports like football, are at a higher risk of suffering from traumatic brain injuries than adults. One of the greatest concerns that parents and caregivers should be aware of is that it is possible for the complications of a child’s brain injury might not become apparent until he or she is an adult. The human brain is not fully mature until age 25. Injuries suffered before an individual reaches this age can have significant long-term effects, such as the following:
- Decreased academic performance;
- In young children, slowed language acquisition;
- Difficulty maintaining relationships and jobs as a teen and adult;
- Behavioral difficulties; and
- Slowed cognitive development.
Children are also susceptible to brain injuries as a result of physical abuse. Approximately 1,300 American children suffer from severe brain injuries as a result of abuse every year, sometimes resulting in their deaths.
Work with a Seattle Brain Injury Attorney
If your child or elderly loved one suffers a brain or head injury in a fall, it is up to you to see to it that he or she receives adequate medical care and if the accident was caused by another party’s negligence, compensation for his or her damages. To begin working on your brain injury case with our personal injury firm, contact Stephen Hornbuckle, an experienced brain injury lawyer and partner at The Hornbuckle Firm to schedule your free legal consultation with our firm. We serve Tacoma and Seattle, Washington.
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