Let's Talk About Falls and Fall Risks in Older Adults

Where do most falls occur?

Most falls occur inside or near the home.

·       55% inside the home

·       23% outside but near home

·       22% away from home

Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults and are a major threat to an older adults’ quality of life and independence. They often lead to a decline in the ability to care for oneself and participate in physical and social activities. Fear of falling can lead to further limiting activity independent of injury. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, loneliness, social isolation, sadness and depression.

Less that half of adults who have fallen tell their doctors. Falling once doubles your chances of falling again.

Falls are Serious and Costly:

·       Every year, one in three older adults fall and one in five sustain a serious injury such as a broken hip, fracture, concussion, and other injuries

·       Those who fall once are more likely to fall again

·       Over 800,000 persons are hospitalized for falls each year

·       Recovery from injuries, including hip fractures, can take up to a year in a long-term care facility and many people who fall never go home again

Individual and Environmental Factors are the main risk factors.

There are two broad categories of risk factors that increase the likelihood that an older adult will fall. They are Individual (intrinsic) and Environmental (extrinsic). Examples of Individual (intrinsic) and Environmental (extrinsic) factors are age related physical changes, cognitive deficits, gait strength/muscle weakness, balance deficits, shuffling, sensory deficits, chronic conditions, acute illnesses, medications, lack of grab bars, poor lighting, dehydration, arthritis, footwear, assistive devices, home/neighborhood features and alcohol/drugs to name a few.

Fall from an Older Adults point of view.

Older adults frequently think that falls are inevitable with aging but often underestimate their personal risk of falling. Environmental and behavioral factors (like rushing and being distracted) are most often seen as common causes of falls and intrinsic (individual physical condition) factors are rarely recognized. Furthermore, few older adults use proven fall prevention methods such as balance exercises when asked what they do to prevent future falls. They merely state they are being more careful though there is no evidence to suggest that being more careful will actually prevent future falls effectively.

Fall Prevention is Important!

Identifying and addressing risk factors promptly can prevent may falls. Fall and injury prevention continues to be a considerable challenge to older adults and keys to maintaining independence.

Kaleidoscope is committed to working with you, your family, and your physician to assess your fall risk factors and to create a care program that will aid in fall prevention.

For more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html