Falls among the elderly living in high-rise apartments

Abstract

A study of 64 elderly people living in high-rise apartments found that 37.5 percent reported falling in the previous year. The annual reported fall rate was 625 per 1,000 persons per year. Fifty-eight percent of those who fell received medical treatment. Dizziness and syncope were reported to be the cause of 80 percent of falls. Self-reported poor health status and disability in vision and gait were strongly associated with falling. The sex of the subject, marital status, advanced age, and alcohol and sedative use were less associated with falling.