Title : The impacts of falls in adults aged 65 and older
Abstract:
The health, financial, and behavioral impacts of falls in adults aged 65 and older are well documented yet falls continue to be the leading cause of accidental death in this population. Beyond the financial and physical consequences, the psychologic impact of falls can lead to a persistent fear of falling, social withdrawal, and functional decline, all of which further increase the risk of falling over time. Falls not only decrease quality of life they also increase the risk of early mortality among older adults. Falls and fall-related injuries comprise nearly one-third of all incident reports and occur more than one million times yearly in the United States. However, falls are not part of normal aging. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls in adults aged 65 and older are often preventable. Healthcare providers are critical in risk assessment by reviewing falls with older adults and offering fall prevention interventions. Using a multidimensional fall-risk assessment approach has been shown to reduce falls by 24%. As our population advances in age, fall injury death and associated non-fatal costs are expected to rise. It is vital that we understand the current fall reduction practices in assisted living and other communities which will guide future fall risk assessment and reduction practices in the aging assisted and community-dwelling adult population.
