Falls in Older Adults: Prevention and Risk Evaluation

Book excerpt: Falls are a major health challenge and represent the leading cause of accidental death in older adults. It is essential to identify those factors associated with an increased risk for falls and to develop specific programs for fall prevention. The risk of falling can be assessed in older adults using different parameters, including biological, psychosocial, socioeconomic, behavioral, and environmental factors. For example, the risk of falls increases when vision is impaired, when sleep quality is poor, or when mood is depressed. Moreover, physical parameters, such as changes in body mass and blood pressure are risk factors for falls in older adults.