Broken bones are incredibly common in children. They seem to be less cautious about things and do stuff that can lead to injuries. Most of the time, children heal from a broken bone quickly. The story is different for adults, especially seniors.
A broken bone in a senior is often the result of a fall or other accident. The Endocrine Society explains that slow healing and potential complications can lead to long-term risks of a broken bone in older adults.
Medical conditions
Sometimes, a broken bone in an older individual can lead to other health issues. For example, if you break a hip, you may have to stay immobile during healing. You may end up laying down for extended periods of time. This could lead to issues such as bed sores or pneumonia, which can become complicated medical issues.
Even a broken arm could lead to trouble if it results in your having any mobility limitations or cannot properly care for yourself.
Death
A broken bone could also lead to early death in older adults. Death could be a result of the additional medical issues you might suffer from. If, for example, you get pneumonia and your progression is severe enough that doctors cannot heal you, then you could die. If it were not for the broken bone, you probably would not have gotten pneumonia, which means you would not have died.
The bottom line seems to be that broken bones can easily compound into issues that put your life at risk if you are an older adult. This requires taking any such injury seriously and taking extra measures to maintain your health.
