The recent snow/ice here in the Northeast made me think about the topic of fall prevention. Even as the weather changes (for the better?), we need to prevent falls especially as a person ages.
Data shows nearly 1 in 3 of individuals over 65 years and 1 in 2 over 80 years will experience at least one fall in a given year. Individuals who sustain a fracture due to a fall have a one-year mortality rate of nearly 25%. But just because you may be less than 40 years old does not mean you cannot fall too. A study by Talbot looked at falls in young, middle age, and older adults. The study reports a fall rate of nearly 20% in those younger than 45 years. Those younger tended to walk away from falls without serious injuries unlike their older counterparts.
To be able to prevent falls, we must first understand some of the risk factors and causes. From there, we can begin to address those risks/causes and prevent falls.
Just what are some common risks/causes of falling? Advancing age (>80 yrs), taking more than 4 medications, vision problems, using an assistive device (cane/walker), depression, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, and medical conditions such as Parkinson’s/stroke/dementia all place an individual at increased risk. A history of falls is the single greatest predictor of future falls. To those who says they have only fallen once and are in denial about future falls risk read “falls in the elderly” by George Fuller.
Physical Therapists (PTs) are capable of helping on the back end to deal with issues arising from a fall, but we would much prefer to prevent these falls before they EVER happen.
How can PTs help prevent falls? For starters, we can review your medical history, check medications and vital signs to see if any risk factors are present. This will take place even before any dynamic screening. From there, we will evaluate an individual’s strength, flexibility, balance and gait to assess for potential areas to address to reduce risk. We also have validated balance-testing measures to help objectively quantify an individual’s falls risk.
Should an individual be at risk for falls, we can develop a specific program to help improve these deficits often associated with falls. A 2015 study by Mansfield published in the journal Physical Therapy, reports individuals who participate in specific balance training can reduce their odds of falling by over 50%. Education will also be provided related to removing fall hazards from the home such as throw rugs and clutter. If necessary, instruction in proper usage of assistive devices or other functional tasks will be addressed as needed.
If you or a loved one has had even one fall, consider consultation with a qualified health professional to help prevent future falls. A little time and effort now can prevent months or years of disability from a fall.