Preventing Falls in the Elderly

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans, leading to 27,000 deaths every year and almost 3 million emergency room visits. Many view falls as just part of getting older; however fall risk can be significantly diminished through appropriate screening, education and community programs. Through literature review and talking to members of the local community, I learned about how fall risk is assessed along with what education and programs are provided for those at increased risk of falling. This project sought to educate patients about simple steps that can be made to decrease their fall risk and to educate providers about screening tools available to assess fall risk and how to work with patients who have an increased risk of falling.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1294/thumbnail.jp