04
April
2018
|
07:00 AM
America/New_York

Fall prevention gets harder when elderly leave hospital

Reuters Health reports that a new study in Australia found that more efforts are needed to prevent falls among the elderly especially those who are recently discharged from the hospital. Not only does the risk go up within six months of a hospital release, but over half of those who do fall suffer serious injuries.

"One of the biggest risks of falling [among the elderly] is fear," said Leigh-Ann Bramble PT, DPT, USATF-L1, physical therapist at HSS.

"Fear can cause avoidance of activities which can lead to weakness and instability. This then leads to more fear due to a feeling of being unsteady," added Bramble.

She explained how the challenge is not only to educate patients but also to educate health care providers and communities in general about the risks and how to train and teach adults about ways to be safe.

Read the full article at reuters.com.