Epidemiology and prevention of fall injuries among the elderly

Abstract

The authors examine the problem of falls among the elderly. Due to the steadily increasing 65-and-older population, focus on prevention rather than treatment of falls among them has beneficial economic consequences. The authors discuss possible strategies for preventing such falls. Specifically, they argue that people must use the community organization model to form successful strategies because prevention programs cannot succeed without the participation and support of many individuals and organizations throughout an elderly person's social networks and throughout society.