Falls prevention

Falls present a significant cost to the individual. The consequences can range from:

• distress and loss of confidence
• loss of independence
• quality of life
• occasionally, death

There are also considerable financial costs associated with falls in terms of local health and care services.

Good clinical practice can reduce death and disability resulting from hip fractures and prevent future falls and fragility fractures. Despite evidence-based guidance on preventing and treating falls in older people there is an inconsistent approach to recognition, diagnosis and management of those at risk across the county.

Exercise is the only intervention that by itself reduces falls among older adults. However, multi-factorial interventions. These interventions increase older people’s ability to continue to live safely and independently and can include:

• a combined programme of exercise
• vision assessment
• fall prevention education

Simple early interventions can provide effective results.

Falls-related injuries

At least a third of people aged over 65 will fall each year nationally. In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which has a significantly higher number of older people than the UK average, this means up to 58,000 people are likely to fall every year, with up to 2,900 requiring hospital treatment.

Understanding why we fall is key to prevention. The natural process of ageing can often place older adults at an increased risk of having a fall. There are 3 reasons for this which are outlined below.

Older people are more like to have:

• chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, dementia, or low blood pressure (hypotension); dizziness is a common symptom of low blood pressure
• impairments, such as poor vision, or muscle weakness
• disabilities that can affect their balance

Common reasons for accidental falls

Among older adults, some of the most common reasons for accidental falls include falling or slipping:

• in the bathroom
• due to dim light
• on rugs, or carpets, that are not properly secured, or on floors that were wet, or recently polished
• when reaching for storage areas, such as cupboards
• down the stairs

Another common cause, particularly among older men, is falling from a ladder while carrying out home maintenance work.

Falls can also sometimes occur as a result of health reasons. Some common health reasons linked to falling include:

• loss of balance due to disability, or muscle weakness
• a sudden episode of dizziness
• a sudden, brief loss of consciousness, due to an underlying health condition, such as a heart condition, or low blood sugar (a brief loss of consciousness is known as a drop attack)
• low blood pressure (hypotension)
• visual impairment

Falls can sometimes be particularly troublesome for older women, as osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones) is a common problem in this population. Osteoporosis is caused by hormonal changes that occur during the menopause (when a woman’s periods stop).