HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion and was hospitalized after he tripped and fell at a hotel.
According to the CDC, one out of 4 older Americans will experience a fall.
"Last time I fell, it was so awkward. I was coming from the door, walking from my front door to my dining room, and my legs just start going and I couldn't stop them and I hit the table. I almost poked my eye out," Jessie Parks, a local senior citizen, said.
Jessie Parks was one of the more than 800,000 senior citizens taken to the emergency room every year.
The CDC said $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to non-fatal falls and falling has a hidden cost, too.
"After a fall, you really feel like you're scared. You feel nervous, especially if you're by yourself... I'm nervous about going to the hospital. I'm nervous about going to a doctor, period," Parks explained.
A fall can wipe your confidence right from under you.
"I'm still nervous. I'm still nervous. I sleep with boots, socks and everything," Raymond Suarez, another senior citizen, said.
Raymond Suarez said he does that to prevent himself from falling out of bed again.
While taking extra precautions like using a walker and getting rid of throw rugs can help reduce the risk of falling, the Office on Aging said it all comes back to confidence.
"The actual fear of falling will increase your risk of falling... You want to have the confidence. You want to be careful, but you do not want to stop living after a fall," Carole Ware, with the office of Aging, said.
Carole calls the impact drastic. She said limiting your day-to-day activities, thinking it will prevent a fall, could do more harm.
"Some of the things that we need to focus on is strengthening your core," Ware added.
She suggests doing exercises that strengthen your legs and improve your balance by doing Tai Chi or yoga.
Ware said that could help keep you from falling but also help you stay more independent for longer.
