Risk Factors of Recurrent Falls Among Older Adults Admitted to the Trauma Surgery Department

Abstract

Falls affect more than 29 million American adults ages ≥65 years annually. Many older adults experience recurrent falls requiring medical attention. These recurrent falls may be prevented through screening and intervention. In 2014 to 2015, records for 199 older adult patients admitted from a major urban teaching hospital’s emergency department were queried. Open-ended variables from clinicians’ notes were coded to supplement existing closed-ended variables. Of the 199 patients, 52 (26.1%) experienced one or more recurrent falls within 365 days after their initial fall. Half (50.0%) of all recurrent falls occurred within the first 90 days following discharge. A large proportion of recurrent falls among older adults appear to occur within a few months and are statistically related to identifiable risk factors. Prevention and intervention strategies, delivered either during treatment for an initial fall or upon discharge from an inpatient admission, may reduce the incidence of recurrent falls among this population.

The Association Between Discrimination and Falling. A National Sample of Older Adults

“…The outcome variable for this study was falling, which was assessed by asking the respondent these questions: “Have you fallen in the last 12 months?” A positive response was followed by “How many times have you fallen?” According to the number of falls, “recurrent falls” were defined as ≥2 falls versus 0–1 falls (Hung et al, 2017). We choose recurrent falls as the main outcome since recurrent fallers are a particular subgroup of older adults who experience falls because they are usually frail and more likely to sustain serious injuries making them at a higher risk for morbidity and mortality than non-fallers and single fallers (Bartosch et al, 2020; Curran-Groome et al, 2020; Jehu et al, 2021). However, for analyses, we are also reporting “any falls” (≥1 falls vs. 0 falls) for potential comparison with other studies in the literature.…”

Toe Clearance Rehabilitative Slippers for Older Adults With Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Curran-Groome et al 11 investigated post-discharge falls in 199 elderly people aged 65 years and older who were hospitalized for surgery and had no history of falls. The results show that 52 of the 199 subjects experienced 1 or more falls within a year of their first fall.…”

External validation of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool in older Dutch hospitalized patients

“…The length of stay and costs of patients with a fall-related injury was more than double that of non-fallers [ 6 ]. In patients (≥ 65 years) treated in a hospital for a fall-related problem, more than 25% experienced another fall within a year [ 7 ]. These recurrent falls (2 or more per year) are associated with serious injuries [ 8 ].…”