Prevent Falls
The Home Safety Foundation is partnering with social scientists, exercise specialists and engineers to gather information that can help older adults to avoid injuries caused by falls. In too many cases results of a fall injuries are severe enough that the quality of life is impacted substantially and permanently.
We are surrounded by fall risks both inside and outside our homes. Adults 65 and older are especially at risk. Statistically 1 in 4 will fall each year. Three million will go to the emergency room for care after a fall.
Yet, we also know that most fall risks can be eliminated or reduced.
When you hear about people AT RISK FOR FALLS – do you wonder if this might apply to you? Are you at risk? Answering 12 questions Yes or No will tell you.
An online Falls Risk Assessment developed by Laurence Z. Rubinstein, MD and others and published in The Journal of Safety Research (2011: 42(6) 493-499) provides: (1) A screening level assessment you can use ON YOUR OWN to determine if you are at risk for falling. If so, you can go to the next stage, a detailed assessment. (2) The detailed assessment involves an evaluation you can request of your provider.
If the assessment done by your doctor leads to identification of UNDERLYING CAUSES that indicate you are at risk of falling, then referral may be made to a SPECIALIST such as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or ophthalmologist. Or referral may be to a local intervention PROGRAM.Your doctor may also schedule a follow up appointment in 1-2 months to evaluate PROGRESS.
A very good online implementation of the Risk of Falls Assessment is offered online by the National Council on Aging. Link: www.ncoa.org/article/falls-free-checkup.
The same 12 self-assessment questions and scoring useful in identifying falls risk are available to download below. For each item, answer Yes or No. No-one else will see your answers. This is for you.
