Notes

Causes of Recurrent Falls in Elderly
Causes of recurrent falls in elderly
One third of older adults fall at least once a year. They are associated with increased mortality, morbidity, reduced functioning, impaired quality of life and premature nursing home placement.

Personal Alarms Intrinsic and extrinsic causes of falls are multifactorial, making assessment and prevention challenging. Multiple clinical practice guidelines recommend screening all patients 65 years or older for falls.

A thorough physical examination is needed to exclude obvious intrinsic causes of falls. During the examination, temperature should be measured, heart rate and rhythm should be assessed to detect bradycardia or resting tachycardia, and blood pressure should be checked with the patient supine and after standing for 1 and 3 minutes to determine orthostatic hypotension.

Gait and balance assessments are also helpful in determining if the fall is due to balance issues. If these assessments reveal problems, your doctor may prescribe an exercise program or make recommendations for a safer way to move about the home.

Medications are known to influence falls risk, so it is important to ask your health care provider about medications and supplements you are taking or plan to take. They can review your medication list and wean you off any medications that might increase your risk of falling, such as sedatives, antihistamines or certain antidepressants.

Recurrent falls are a major global health, economic and societal concern, affecting millions of older adults worldwide each year. Identifying and mitigating recurrent falls in the elderly can help prevent injury, decrease hospitalizations, reduce costs, improve quality of life and increase the availability of appropriate care.
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