Lightning Learning: Falls Risk
““30% of people >65 years and 50% of people >80 years fall at least once a year.””
What?
Ask all patients who have fallen:
Have you had two or more falls in the last 12 months?
Have you presented acutely with a fall?
Do you have problems with walking or balance (not necessarily restricting activity)?
A positive answer to any of these puts the patient at high risk of falls! Use the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test (watch the video links in Further Reading).
Why?
30% of people over 65 and 50% of people over 80 fall at least once a year.
The latest data from the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) also shows that the demographics of trauma are changing and the majority of major trauma in the UK is the elderly who have fallen less than 2 metres.
If we identify those at risk we can make interventions to try and prevent falls.
Further Reading
- #EM3: GEMcon16 Falls workshop
- MDTea Podcast: Falls
- YouTube: TUG Test
