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Prevention of Falls in Older Adults

Learn about the causes of falls in older adults, the risk factors, and preventive measures to reduce fall-related injuries and hospitalizations. Understand the importance of exercise, vitamin D supplementation, and environmental modifications in fall prevention.

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Prevention of Falls in Older Adults

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  1. Prevention of Fallsin Older Adults Nancy Weintraub, MD, FACP Director, UCLA Fellowship in Geriatric Medicine Director, VA Special Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics at GLA VA Professor of Medicine, UCLA

  2. What is a fall?What is not a fall?What usually happens after a fall?

  3. Common and Costly Age ≥ 65 years, about 30% fall each year Age> 80, 50% fall each year 60% of older adults who fell in past year will fall again 5-10% of falls result in serious injuries fractures, head trauma, lacerations Most common (61%) cause of nonfatal injury treated in Emergency Department in 2009-10 Fall injuries cost ~$50 billion (2015) Increase risk of nursing home placement, loss of function Bergen G. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:993 Betz ME. J Am Geriatr Soc 2014;62:1317 Cameron ID. Cochrane DatabSyst Rev 2018; DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005465.pub4 Florence CS. J Am Geriatr Soc 2018;66:693

  4. THE GOAL IS PREVENTION

  5. Identifying risk level • Have you fallen two or more times in the past 12 months? • Have you fallen and hurt yourself since your last doctor visit? • Are you afraid that you might fall because of balance or walking problems? Wenger NS et al., Arch Intern Med 2010;170:1765-1772 Other screening items: see Lusardi MM et al., J Geriatr Phys Ther 2017; 40:1-36

  6. USPSTF Recommendations • Recommend exercise for older patients at increased risk (Grade B) • Recommend against vitamin D supplementation (Grade D) • Recommendations apply to community-dwelling older adults not known to have osteoporosis or Vitamin D deficiency Grossman DC. JAMA 2018; doi:10.1001/jama.2018.3097

  7. Exercise: Options • Community-based exercise • Outpatient physical therapy • Home physical therapy via home health • Balance exercises (Tai Chi) http://eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Index.

  8. Systematic reviews: Vitamin D • Did not reduce falls overall • Possible benefit in subgroup with low Vitamin D levels • Current recommendations for older adults • Age 51-70: 600 IU daily • Age > 70: 800 IU daily Gurguis-Blake JM. JAMA 2018; doi:10.1001/jama.2017.21962 Gillespie LD. Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews 2012; CD007146 http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D/DRI-Values.aspx

  9. Vitamin D: Harms • Toxic in overdose • Safe upper limit: 4000 IU/day • Increased risk of kidney stones with combined Vitamin D/calcium in Women’s Health Initiative and in meta-analysis http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D.aspx Kahwati LC. JAMA 2018;319:1600

  10. Causes of falls Usually, multiple interacting causes  no “magic bullet” However, intervening on these causes decreases the rate of future falls

  11. Evaluation – Seven Elements Orthostatic vital signs Visual acuity Gait/balance Functional status Cognition (+/- mood) Medications Home hazards Chang JT et al. BMJ 2004;328:680 Gurguis-Blake JM. JAMA 2018; doi:10.1001/jama.2017.21962

  12. Orthostasis Orthostatic hypotension  dizziness or loss of consciousness  fall Check orthostatic vital signs Interventions Discontinue or  dose causative medicines Support stockings In severe cases, treat orthostatic hypotension

  13. Vision Visual impairment – inability to see hazards puts patients at risk Check for eye exam in the past year If not, perform visual acuity examination Intervention Referral to eye care May lead to cataract extraction Single-lens distance glasses for outdoor use (selected cases) Harwood RH. Br J Ophthalmol 2005;89:53-59; Haran MJ. BMJ 2010; 340: c2265

  14. Gait/balance/strength Gait/balance/strength impairment –  likelihood of losing balance or tripping Observe gait Side-by-side/semi-tandem/full tandem (balance – next slide) Watch patient arise from chair without using his/her arms to push off (strength)

  15. Stances to assess balance

  16. Timed Up and Go

  17. Gait/balance/strength Interventions Exercise/physical therapy Assistive device

  18. Function Functional impairments – inability to complete tasks safely Ask patient or caregiver about basic/instrumental activities of daily living (ADL’s) Interventions Occupational therapy Equipment to support ADL’s

  19. Cognition (+/- mood) Cognitive impairment – Poor insight, judgment, awareness of surroundings  unsafe decisions Cognitive evaluation (e.g., 3-item recall) Impairment  evaluate for reversible causes Interventions Treat reversible causes (e.g., depression) Develop a plan with caregiver for supervising patient

  20. Medications CNS-active medications  drowsiness, dizziness Antihypertensives Diuretics Assessment/Intervention Identify and discontinue medicines without a clear indication Discontinue or  medications after weighing risks and benefits

  21. Environment Environmental hazards – inciting factor that initiates a fall Order home safety evaluation Through home health Intervention Remove hazards Improve lighting

  22. Footwear From Menant et al., J Rehabil Res Dev 2008; 45:1167-1182

  23. Evaluation – Seven Elements Orthostatic vital signs Visual acuity Gait/balance Functional status Cognition (+/- mood) Medications Home hazards Chang JT et al. BMJ 2004;328:680 Gurguis-Blake JM. JAMA 2018; doi:10.1001/jama.2017.21962

  24. Consider risk of injury • Factors that increase injury risk upon impact • Osteoporosis • Bleeding risk • Underlying disorder • Medication • Weigh benefits vs. risks

  25. Falls in hospitals: risk factors • Recent fall • Muscle weakness • Behavioral disturbance • Urinary frequency/incontinence • Medications • Orthostatic hypotension/syncope Oliver D. Clin Geriatr Med 2010;26:645

  26. Fall Prevention in Nursing Homes • Nursing homes: possibly effective strategies include Vitamin D supplementation • Baseline Vitamin D levels were low • Moderate quality evidence for small reduction in hip fractures with hip protectors • Low beds

  27. Key Points on Falls and Mobility For the general older population, offer exercise Fall prevention exercise for those at higher risk of falls For vulnerable community-dwelling older people, consider multifactorial fall evaluation, and then act on results

  28. Resources • Community-dwelling older people: • American Geriatrics Society guidelines • AGS/BGS Panel: JAGS 2011;59:148–157 • CDC STEADI toolkit • http://www.cdc.gov/steadi/index.html

  29. Resources • AHRQ Falls Toolkit (hospital) • http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/fallpxtoolkit/ • Hospital Elder Life Program • http://www.hospitalelderlifeprogram.org/ • Falls Management Program (nursing home) • http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/long-term-care/resources/injuries/fallspx/

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