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Falls in the elderly: what can be done?
Author(s) -
Akyol A. D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international nursing review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1466-7657
pISSN - 0020-8132
DOI - 10.1111/j.1466-7657.2007.00505.x
Subject(s) - falling (accident) , medicine , falls in older adults , incidence (geometry) , fall prevention , gerontology , etiology , human factors and ergonomics , cognitive impairment , injury prevention , elderly people , poison control , cognition , physical therapy , medical emergency , psychiatry , physics , optics
Aim: This article gives information about falls in the elderly. Background: The evaluation of an older patient who has fallen includes a focused history with an emphasis on medications, risk factors and physical examination. The article also discusses the aetiology and prevention of falls. Conclusion: Risk factors for falls in the elderly include increasing age, medication use, cognitive impairment and sensory deficits. To reduce the incidence of patient falls, clinicians and researchers have developed a variety of risk assessment tools to aid in the identification of patients at greater risk of falling.