There are many contributing factors to falls in the elderly, many of which can be modified to a degree to reduce number and severity of falls, minimizing the chance of severe injury. The elderly often have multiple medical conditions contributing to the risk of falls, the most common include osteoarthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. Often these multiple medical conditions need to be controlled to prevent their own adverse outcomes with multiple medications, and unfortunately medications themselves can increase risk of falls. Poor vision, hearing, muscle tone and strength, peripheral circulation and sensation also add to the problem. We also need to pay attention to bone health and risk of fractures resulting from falls.
We mitigate these problems by performing the fine balancing act between managing medical conditions and reducing unnecessary medications. Our GPs are monitoring these issues constantly with support of pharmacists, nurses, and geriatrician input. Allied health professionals play a crucial role as well. Care staff and nursing home managers also contribute importantly to monitoring, room arrangement and positioning and reducing hazards for the elderly.
