Fall Prevention in the Elderly

Approximately a third of a million Americans age 65 or older need hospital treatment after falling, and the numbers are only growing. Although falls are not ideal, they happen and they can affect the health and quality of life of elderly adults and their families.

In addition to the medical attention needed to treat the injury, falls also have an economic impact on the medical care system. Medical Alert Nearly a billion dollars are spent on fall-related injuries each year.

Fall-related accidents occur in all age groups, but older people are at a higher risk of serious injuries. A recent study found that over half of falls occur in older adults living in low- to middle-income countries.

There are a variety of reasons why falls happen, but the most common is a person's physical state. Some of the factors that contribute to the likelihood of a fall include high blood pressure, fatigue, and a lack of physical fitness.

The good news is that the likelihood of a fall can be reduced. One way is to improve a person's physical and mental state. Another is to implement a fall-prevention plan.

A few years ago, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidelines for fall prevention in the elderly. These are designed to help healthcare providers select the most effective treatments.

This multi-pronged approach includes annual wellness visits, in-home hazard assessment, and education. It also uses a multidisciplinary team to address a person's fall-risk factors.