Prevention of Falls Among 65+

Facts About Falls

Each year one in every three adults 65 and older will fall (Hausdorff,Rios,&,Edelber, 2001). In 2009 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries were treated in emergency rooms (CDC,2010). In 2007 more than 18,000 older adults died from non intentional fall injuries. Among those 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of injury death. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma (CDC,2010). In 2000, the direct medical costs attributed to falls was a little over $19 billion (Stevens, Corso, Finkelstein, & Miller, 2006)

Men are more likely to fall compared to women
Women are more likely to be injured in a fall
Each year one in every three adults 65 and older will fall
Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury
People who fall may develop a fear of falling, which may decrease their physical activity in turn leading to more falls

Goals & Objectives

Goal

Create a cohesive community based awareness that will decrease the number of falls among those 65 and older

Objectives

Create awareness of the prevalence and risk factors related to elderly falls
Make assessment tools available to elderly and those who interact with the elderly
Enable individuals to take action within their own homes
Enhance quality of life through fall prevention
Decrease reliance on medical and first responder resources by preventing falls among the elderly

Community Partners

Adults 65+ Living at Home

What older adults can do in their homes to prevent falls?

Have a doctor review medications

Exercise regularly (weight barring activities)

Have regular eye check ups

Make sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D

Remove tripping hazards (throw rugs, shoes, books, and papers)

Make sure there is good lighting

Add grab bars and railings in your home

Community Partners

Professional Health Care Facilities & Health Care Professionals

What professional care facilities can do to prevent falls:

Make sure staff is trained properly and committed to reducing falls

Educate staff on procedures that should take place after a fall

Ensure that all areas of the care facility are safe

Make sure reports are filed so data can be recorded

Make sure residents have adequate supervision at all times

Have an ample amount of safety devices in place for residents

Transfer residents properly at all times

Never leave a resident unattended in places such as the bathroom

Community Partners

Caregivers & Families

Complete a risk assessment test of the home. This will be a good starting point so you know what things need to be changed or modified immediately. An assessment tool is available in the Assessment Tools.

Help ensure that those 65 and older are able to be active, and encourage them to be active by arranging transportation

Make sure their home is kept free of debris and spills

Help install guard rails and grips in the tub if appropriate

Help install the best possible lighting

Encourage those 65 and older to use night lights in the bedroom and bathroom along with any other place that may need additional lighting at night

Have convenient resources like a cordless phone readily available

Check in often with your family members 65 and older to make sure that they are feeling and doing well

Remove area rugs, which can increase the chances of falling

Make sure those 65 and older are getting regular checkups. This will ensure that there are no side effects to medicine

Assessment Tools

FRAX – a tool developed by the WHO to evaluate fracture risk of patients

www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX/

Fall Prevention Checklist

www.mnsafetycouncil.org/seniorsafe/falls/index.cfm

Resources

Falls Free Coalition: Advancing and Sustaining a State-Based Falls Prevention Agenda

www.healthyagingprograms.org/content.asp?sectionid=113&ElementID=854

Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/preventfalls.html#DevCommunityPrg

Falls Among Older Adults: Brochures and Posters

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/fallsmaterial.html

Legislation: Safety of Seniors Act

www.glin.gov/view.action?glinID=205829

Information for Individuals and Families

www.stopfalls.org/individuals_families/index.shtml

Minnesota Organizations & Coalitions

MN Falls Prevention Initiative

http://www.mnfallsprevention.org/index.html

1-800-333-2433

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) - MN Chapter

http://www.mnapta.org/

651-635-0902

MN Board on Aging

http://www.mnaging.org/

1-800-882-6262

P.O. Box 64976

St. Paul, MN 55164-0976

Elder Network

http://www.elder-network.org/

1-507-285-5272

MN Safety Council

http://www.minnesotasafetycouncil.org/family/falls.cfm?qs=383B469B84EE5D0C423401A73F0D529A

1-800-444-9150

Caregiver & Elder Advocacy Organizations

Elder Care Rights Alliance

Information on how to advocate for resident care; also great for information on elder neglect.

Bloomington, Minnesota

http://www.eldercarerights.org/Home_flash.htm

The National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform

A national resource for seniors regarding abuse and neglect issues.

http://www.theconsumervoice.org/

1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 425

Washington, DC 20036

tel: 202.332.2275

fax: 202.332.2949

info@theconsumervoice.org (e-mail)

The US Department of Health and Human Services (National Center on Elder Abuse)

Contains information about elder abuse, abuse reporting and neglect. Also great for state specific information.

http://ncea.aoa.gov/ncearoot/Main_Site/index.aspx

National Center on Elder Abuse

c/o Center for Community Research and Services

University of Delaware

297 Graham Hall

Newark, DE 19716

Minnesota Board on Aging (Senior Link Age Line)

Great way to find local information.

http://www.mnaging.org/advisor/SLL.htm

tel: 1.800.333.2433

Alzheimer's Association Minnesota- North Dakota Chapter

Offers education for those who interact with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia.

http://www.alz.org/mnnd/

24/7 Helpline

tel: 1.800.272.3900

tdd: 1.866.403.3073

e-mail: info@alz.org

National office

225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17

Chicago, IL 60601-7633

tel: 312.335.8700

tdd: 312.335.5886

fax: 1.866.699.1246

References

1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web -based Injury IStatistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. Accessed November 30, 2010.

2) Hausdorff JM, Riods DA, Edelber HK. Gait variability and fall risk in community-living older adults: a 1-year prospective study. Archives of PHysical Medicine and Rehabiilitation 2001;82(8):1050-6.

3) Stevens JA, Corso PS, Finkelstein EA, Miller TR. The costs of fatal and nonfatal falls among older adults. Injury Prevention 2006b;12:290-5.