Risk Factors
Falls are often the result of multiple factors related to the adult and his or her environment. Studies have shown that the risk of falling increases dramatically as the number of risk factors increases. Tinetti, Speechley, and Ginter, respected researchers in the area of falls prevention, found that the percentage of persons falling increased from 19% for those with one risk factor to 78% for those with four or more risk factors.
To learn more, read Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for prevention available at: http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/suppl_2/ii37.abstract
Risk factor |
---|
Muscle weakness |
Prior falls |
Balance deficit |
Gait deficit |
Use of assistive device |
Visual deficit |
Arthritis |
Activities of Daily Living (ADL) deficit |
Depression |
Cognitive deficit |
Age >80 years |
Research at Yale University and other respected institutions has shown that treating and correcting specific health problems reduces the rate of falling by more than 30%. Learn how an older person with fall risk factors can benefit from treatment of those factors at: http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/yale-study.jsp