Preventing Older Adult Falls: Understanding Risk Factors & Best Practices

1. Preventing Older Adult Falls:Understanding Risk Factors & Best Practices Healthy Aging Partnership May 26, 2009 Sally York MN, RNC NorthWest Orthopaedic Institute Tacoma, WA

2. Falls in Older Adults 20% - 30% fear falling1 35%-40% of people 65+ fall eachyear2 Those who fall are 2-3 times more likely to fall again3 10%-20% of falls cause serious injuries4 1.Vellas BJ, Age & Aging, 1997; Friedman SM, JAGS, 2002 2. Hornbrook, Gerontologist, 1994; Hausdorff, Arch Phys Med & Rehab, 2001 3. Tinetti, New Eng J Med, 1988; Teno, JAGS,1990 4. Sterling, J Trauma-Inj Infection & Critical Care, 2001

3. Fall Injuries in Older Adults • Up to 20-30% of falls in older adults result in an injury requiring medical care • Most fractures in Medicare population are due to falls • Falls in older adults are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury • Men have a higher rate of fatal falls (due to TBI) • Women are more likely to have non-fatal falls CDC Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview (2009) www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html

4. Fall Risk Factors in Older Adults Chronic health conditions Physical and functional impairments Medication and alcohol use Environmental hazards

5. Primary Fall Risk Factor Concepts • Assess & identify intrinsic (internal)risk factors Examples- Age, osteporosis, vision loss, dementia • Assess & identify extrinsic (external) risk factors: Examples- Medications, footwear, assistive devices, environment • Assess & identify acquiredrisk factors: Examples- Facility or hospital admission due to health change or decline (new environment), delirium due to illness, increased disability due to injury

6. Secondary Fall Risk Concepts • Identify modifiable risk factors Examples: Muscle weakness, poor balance, exercise level, medications, environmental lighting, footwear • Identify non-modifiablerisk factors Examples: Age, chronic conditions, disability, dementia, vision loss Goal Individual will modify (reduce) modifiable risk factors

7. Falls Are Usually Multifactorial Intrinsic Factors Extrinsic Factors Age changes Medications related Footwear FALLS Chronic conditions Alcohol Environmental factors LE weakness Acquired Factors Assistive device

8. American Geriatrics Society: Most Common Intrinsic Fall Risk Factors Muscle weakness History of falls Gait deficit Balance deficit Assistive device use Visual deficit Arthritis Impaired Activities of Daily Living Depression Cognitive Impairment Age >80 years American Geriatrics Society (2001), Guideline for the Preventionof Falls in Older Persons, JAGS, 49:664-672.

9. Modifiable Intrinsic Risk Factors Muscle weakness 4.4 x Gait & balance problems 2.9 x Vision problems 2.5 x Psychoactive medications 1.7 x Relative Risk 2001 American Geriatric Society Clinical Guidelines for the Prevention of Falls, JAGS

10. ABC’s of Why Older Adults Fall Usually >1 Risk Factor Causes a Fall • Age, ambulatory status, assistive device use • Balance, behavior at time of fall • Chronic conditions, cognitive deficits • Drugs • Exercise level, environment • Footwear & flooring

11. CDC Fall Prevention Recommendations: the 4 Pearls Regular exercise Medication review Vision exams Home safety evaluation

12. Fall Prevention Best Practices: Multi-component Programs Combine > 2 Best Practices Individual risk assessment Regular strength & balance exercise Gait & assistive device training Medication review & management Management of chronic conditions Vision correction Education Home safety improvements WA State Dept. of Health, Falls Among Older Adults: Strategies for Prevention (2002) Centers for Disease Control

13. Best Practices for Older Adults from Recent Clinical Studies Clinical assessment & risk reduction Exercise to improve balance, gait, strength, endurance, & flexibility Medication management: especially benzodiazepines, antidepressants, sedatives/hypnotics Multi-component programs Rubenstein et al, Handbook of Injury & Violence Prevention, 2007

14. Recommendations for Community-dwelling Older Adults (excl. those with dementia): Cochrane Review of 111 Studies (2009) 1. Exercise: -multiple component (strength, balance, aerobic) group classes -Tai Chi -home programs in adults without severe impairments 2. Multifactorial interventions, delivered by multidisciplinary teams Gillespie et al, Cochrane Review: Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community, April 2009

15. Summary Risk factors, best practices & effective interventions have been identified for community-dwelling older adults after many years of research Injury prevention is an important goal in populations at high risk for falls Comprehensive prevention plans/programs that include individual risk assessment & individualized multi-component/multi-faceted intervention approaches are the most effective in reducing falls & fall risks

16. Thank You