Risk of falls and Effect of a Health Education Program in Prevention of Falls among Elderly in Geriatric Homes in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Background Population aging is a global challenge, the percent of older people in Egypt was 6.9% in 2015, projected to be 9.2% in 2021, and it is expected to reach 20.8% in 2050. This means that, around 20 million Egyptians will be categorized as elderly by that time (1). Prevalence of falls among elderly in Egypt is estimated to be (33.3%) (2) .Geriatric Falls are considered as one of the most common and serious public health problems, as they are common causes of morbidity and mortality, loss of independence, and poor quality of life (3) .Its reported by the CDC that one in every three adults age 65 and older falls each year (4) .Institutionalized elderly people are three times more likely to fall than those who live in the community, this may be explained by loss of family relationships, lower functional capacity and physical inactivity due to social isolation (5)

Detection of the Modifiable and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors, and the Adverse Consequences of Falling among Elderly People

“…In Egypt, it had been estimated that the prevalence of falls among Egyptian elderly persons was (35.3%) with an increased incidence of falls among institutionalized than community dwelling older adults (Elsamahy et al, 2019). Although the geriatric homes are designed based on the needs of elderly, falls were found to be high (50.0% to 66.0%) among Egyptian elders living in institutions versus one-third of community dwellings related to loss of family relationships, limited physical activities, and social isolation (Ismail et al, 2018). With aging, there are multiple interrelated factors that can affect gait and balance like; co-morbidities (Morley et al, 2017), medication intake including diuretics and antihypertensive (Tinetti et al, 2014), and sensory impairments (Dolatabadi et al, 2018).…”