Drowning In Older Adults

Globally, the highest drowning rates occur among children and youth. As a result, drowning prevention attention and investment have traditionally focused on young age groups. However, global estimates of drowning deaths among older adults (65+) have been increasing in recent decades, and in some developed countries, drowning rates among older adults are higher than among young children. The global population is aging and the number of older adults living globally is expected to double by 2050. 

When you hear of someone drowning in the backyard pool, the tendency is to think about a child who wasn't being watched closely enough, you’d be correct in that assumption, but increasingly, drowning rates of older adults in swimming pools and bathtubs are growing and in the United States, the rates are higher than for children. As we have more older adults than ever before on our planet it is not surprising that there are more drowning deaths, but it's not just more people, it's also a greater percentage of the total drowning deaths.  The percentage has nearly doubled and will have doubled by 2050 if the trends continue. 

Why are older adults drowning at higher rates? There are 2 separate groups of older adults who are drowning: 65 -75 and 76-85.  The 65 -75-year-olds are drowning in water accidents in lakes, rivers, and oceans. They are actively engaged in boating and die in boating accidents.  There are many plausible reasons for this factor but one commonly mentioned is that the older person, feeling fine, is involved in water activities like sailing and under usual circumstances are within their capabilities but in a storm, or other extreme circumstance, they are no longer able to manage the boat (canoe, Kayak, paddle board, raft, etc.) and they drown. The 76 -85 years old tend to drown at home in different circumstances.  Most often, they fall into the water and are unable to get up from the water. It does not take a lot of water for someone to drown who is unable to lift one's head out of the water. Why has there been an increase in this type of death? As people are living longer, we have more people with dementia who lack the ability to make safe decisions. They do not consider bathing in their bathroom as a risk; they do not think about a backyard pool whether a full-sized pool or a grandchild's wading pool as a potential hazard. 

Home safety checks must include evaluation of the potential for the older adult to access standing water and if there is water, there must be a responsible adult supervising. Worldwide, there has been a huge decrease in the number of deaths of children by drowning. Education and safety preparation makes a difference. The same education and attention must be utilized when an older adult has dementia to prevent drowning deaths. 

Drowning prevention messaging for older adults should be targeted by age group. For younger seniors (65 to 74), the focus should be on increased safety around natural water and during boating and aquatic activities. For the older age groups (75+), the focus should be on preventing bathing-related drowning, unintentional falls into the water, and drowning while swimming in pools. 

We need to strengthen our drowning prevention messaging with the older adults target group to ensure they realize the importance of swimming and boating with a friend or family member, and to have someone else with them when they are in a backyard pool and to check on them regularly while in the bath."