Healthy Aging

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Falls

Home > Healthy Aging > Falls

• Injuries
• If You Fall
• Additional Resources

As you get older, your chances of falling and breaking a bone or hitting your head increase. This is true for many reasons. For instance, age-related declines in vision, hearing, strength, and coordination can affect your balance. Certain medicines may make you feel dizzy. Also, like many older women, you may have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis makes your bones weak. This means that even a minor fall could leave you with a broken bone. Read on to learn more about preventing falls.

• Prevention Tips
• Make Your Home Safe

Injuries

Falls are the most common cause of injury and injury-related death among older adults. These injuries include not only broken bones, but also traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is brain damage caused by a sudden blow to the head — like a fall. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2005 alone, TBIs due to a fall caused nearly 8,000 deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations of Americans 65 and older.

If You Fall

If you do fall, don't panic! Do not try to get up too quickly or in the wrong position. This can make an injury worse. Remember, what you do after falling can cause more injuries than the fall itself!

Instead, take a few deep breaths and decide if you are hurt. If you think you are hurt, do not try to get up. Instead, call 911 or get help from a family member. But if you feel strong enough to get up, follow these steps:

• If you can, crawl to a piece of stable furniture like a heavy chair, and pull yourself up. Face the front and put both hands on the seat.
• Slowly, begin to get up. Bend the knee that feels the strongest. Keep the weaker knee on the floor.
• Slowly turn around and sit in the chair.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Bone Mineral Density Test — This publication provides an overview of the bone mineral density (BMD) test. A BMD test can help your doctor check for and monitor osteoporosis.

   http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007197.htm

2.   Costs of Falls Among Older Adults — This fact sheet explains the problem of falls among older adults. It describes how costs are calculated and how costly fall-related injuries are overall among older adults.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm

3.   Falls in Nursing Homes — Falls in nursing homes can result in injury or even death. This fact sheet discusses the incidence of falls in nursing homes, why they happen, and how to prevent them.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/nursing.htm

4.   Injury Prevention and Control: Traumatic Brain Injury — this web page defines traumatic brain injury and lists ways you can help prevent it.

   http://www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury/index.html

5. Don't Let a Fall Be Your Last Trip: Who Is At Risk? (Copyright © American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) — Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries to older people in the United States. This site gives tips to prevent falls.

   http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00118

6. Fall Prevention: 6 Ways to Reduce Your Falling Risk (Copyright © Mayo Foundation) — You needn't let the fear of falling rule your life. Many falls and fall-related injuries are preventable with fall-prevention measures. Here's a look at six fall-prevention approaches that can help you avoid falls.

   http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/fall-prevention/HQ00657/METHOD=print

Organizations

1.   National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC, OPHS, HHS
2.   National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
3.   Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center, NIAMS, NIH, HHS
4. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
5. American Physical Therapy Association

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated August 12, 2010.