Fall Prevention

Physiotherapy for Fall Prevention

Prevalence
According to the statistics from Elderly Health Centre in 2017:
In 45000 community dwelling elders aged 65 or above, 10.1% experienced falls in last 6 months.

According to the Report of Unintentional Injury Survey 2018 by Department of Health, elderly injuries mainly caused by Fall

Report of Unintentional Injury Survey 2018

衛生署調查：32萬人一年內最少受傷一次　獨居者家居損傷多非獨居者近兩倍 (19:00) - 20210818 - 港聞 - 即時新聞 - 明報新聞網 (mingpao.com)

Risk factors of fall
The causes of falls are multifactorial, including age, sex, fear of falling, impaired cognition and sarcopenia.

Behavioral/Medical Conditions (difficult to modify)	Physical Problems (modifiable with proper rehabilitation)	Environmental Problems (patient-specific advice)
Behavior: Overestimate one's ability low safety awareness	Sarcopenia (i.e. muscle wasting and weakness)	Need to walk on stairs or steps Lack of appropriate adaptations (e.g. rails in the toilet, stair rails) Poor lighting, glare, shadows Tripping hazards (e.g. rugs) Inappropriate use of or refusal to use assistive device Unsuitable clothing or footwear
Medicinal side effects: Feel dizzy, prone to fall Lethargic Less alert Slow or unstable movement	Balance Problems Proprioception impairment Vestibular problems Inappropriate walking aids Joint pain & deformities will also affect balance
Other medical conditions Visual impairment Dizziness- vestibular dysfunction Incontinence Comorbidities (e.g. Stroke, Parkinsonism, Cancer)

Consequences of fall