Assignment: Falls among Elderly

Falls among elderly is a serious public health concern in our increasingly growing population of older people. Falls are defined as unintended coming to rest on the ground, floor, or other lower level, in the exception of position change for intentional rest, falls significantly limit older adults’ ability to remain self-sufficient. For older people, a fall is perceived as an event resulting from a loss of balance. It has been estimated that one out of every three older adults aged 65 or older fall every year, yet less than half talk to their health care provider about it. Falls have devastating physical and medical consequences that make them a major source of increased rates of hospitalization, dysfunction and disability, and dependence Falls affect the quality of life of older adults and are a strong predictor of skilled nursing facility placement in the community. Several intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors increase the likelihood of falling. Intrinsic risk factors are those related to the individual’s illness condition or medication side effects and can be grouped as: (1) Biological risk factors – increasing age, vision impairment or vision loss,

Assignment: Falls among Elderly

chronic health conditions, medication use, mobility impairments due to balance and muscle weakness problems, gait, foot problems, cognitive impairment, loss of sensation in feet, and history of falls and (2) Behavioral risk factors – lack of physical activity and exercise, alcohol and drug use, and fear of falling. Extrinsic risk factors, on the other hand include: (1) environmental conditions- tripping, slipping, uneven floor, poor lighting, inappropriate footwear, absence of handrails, use of defective equipment and assistive devices, and (2) socio economic conditions- poor nutrition due to poverty, limited nutrition knowledge, limited education, limited income

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