Falls in the elderly: what can be done?

Abstract

Aim: This article gives information about falls in the elderly.

Background: The evaluation of an older patient who has fallen includes a focused history with an emphasis on medications, risk factors and physical examination. The article also discusses the aetiology and prevention of falls.

Conclusion: Risk factors for falls in the elderly include increasing age, medication use, cognitive impairment and sensory deficits. To reduce the incidence of patient falls, clinicians and researchers have developed a variety of risk assessment tools to aid in the identification of patients at greater risk of falling.