Falls in the elderly: what can be done?

This article gives information about falls in the elderly.

The evaluation of an older patient who has fallen includes a focused history with an emphasis on medications, risk factors and physical examination. The article also discusses the aetiology and prevention of falls.

Risk factors for falls in the elderly include increasing age, medication use, cognitive impairment and sensory deficits. To reduce the incidence of patient falls, clinicians and researchers have developed a variety of risk assessment tools to aid in the identification of patients at greater risk of falling.