A rehabilitation approach to the falls of geriatric patients

Kontowicz Marlena, Szmelcer Beniamin, Wilczyński Michał, Lamtych Martyna, Kubiak Karolina, Karło Aneta, Rymarska Olga, Kwiatkowska Klaudia, Wszelaki Patrycja, Gajos Małgorzata, Podhorecka Marta, Kędziora Kornatowska Kornelia. A rehabilitation approach to the falls of geriatric patients. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2019;9(6):151-162. eISNN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3238282 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/6996 https://pbn.nauka.gov.pl/sedno-webapp/works/915148 The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. Part B item 1223 (26/01/2017). 1223 Journal of Education, Health and Sport eISSN 2391-8306 7 © The Authors 2019; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author (s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial license Share alike. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 05.05.2019. Revised: 25.05.2019. Accepted: 04.06.2019. A rehabilitation approach to the falls of geriatric patients Marlena Kontowicz1, Beniamin Szmelcer1, Michał Wilczyński1, Martyna Lamtych1, Karolina Kubiak1, Aneta Karło1, Olga Rymarska1, Klaudia Kwiatkowska1, Patrycja Wszelaki1 Małgorzata Gajos1, Marta Podhorecka1, Kornelia Kędziora Kornatowska1 1 Faculty of Health Sciences, Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Nicolaus Copernicus University Abstract: Background: Falls of the elderly are not only in themselves one of the most common problems of geriatric patients, but also the cause of many complications that affect permanently or for a shorter period of time affect the quality of life of people over 65 years of age. These changes affect not only the efficiency and motility of the elderly but also may reduce self-esteem, limit social life or cause loss of self-confidence. Material and methods: Analysis of available literature, articles in the Google Scholar database and PubMed using keywords: falls, geriatrics, aging process, problem Results: In clinical practice, many tests and scales are used to prevent the fall of older people and related complications. These include: Timed Up & Go (TUG), Tinetti scale, Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), One Leg Standing (OLS), Four Square Step Test (FSST), Berg test or Functional Reach (FR). Preventing falls can primarily be achieved by the use of appropriate rehabilitation methods, which include, among others, kinesitherapy and properly selected orthopedic equipment. The aim of individually selected kinesitherapy is to restore or maintain the patient's full fitness through the use of physical exercises to improve the balance, increasing mobility and efficiency. In the case of orthopedic supplies, the most common are baby walkers (without wheels, walker with wheels, using a triangular and quadrangular base) and orthopedic balls. Conclusions: Prophylaxis to prevent destructive effects of falls of geriatric patients should be carried out in a comprehensive manner and cover a wide range of activities. There is a further need for research and discussion on the effectiveness of forms of rehabilitation to prevent the falls of older people Keywords: : falls, geriatrics, aging process, proble