Fall Injury Episodes Among Noninstitutionalized Older Adults: United States, 2001-2003

Maintaining independence after a fall

“…There is moderate evidence that assessment of potential hazards in the home environment is warranted after a fall, particularly as most falls occur in or around the home. 8 Compared with a control group receiving no intervention, falls were significantly reduced among patients who received a home visit by an occupational therapist who assessed the environment and advised on hazard reduction and behaviour modification. 55 In addition, aspects of the home and community environment were significantly related to participation in activities of daily living among adults in a rehabilitation cohort.…”

“…Even among those without serious injury, falls can lead to reduction in mobility and the ability to perform daily activities due to loss of confidence and the awareness that one is vulnerable or weak. 8,11 Fall-related injuries Injuries that result from a fall physically disenable the individual by reducing the functionality of the site of injury. Although injuries that result from falls may heal if managed appropriately, the time required for total recovery often takes longer in older people compared with younger, fitter individuals.…”

“…It has only been more recently recognized, however, that falls and their consequences are one of the major contributors to the loss of independence among older people. 7 Approximately one third of older people experiencing an injurious fall require assistance with activities of daily living, 8 with half of these requiring assistance for a period of six months or longer.…”

Hierarchical models to evaluate translational research: Connecticut collaboration for fall prevention

“…The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) [10] reports that in 2003 over 1.8 million older adults visited emergency departments for treatment of fall injuries and over 421,000 were subsequently hospitalized. They suggest that their crosssectional analysis results "will help target prevention strategies and identify health care utilization needs for older adults who may be at higher risk for fall injuries".…”

“…Persons aged 70 and older were studied because epidemiological studies have shown that fall rates begin to dramatically increase at this age. [10,11] The intervention area consists of 58 ZCTAs and the usual care area of 53. Because randomization was not possible, the two areas were chosen to be as similar as possible on important socio-demographic summary measures, such as population, median income and racial makeup, as well as on descriptive statistics of hospital and emergency departments (Table 1).…”