Falls and Their Prevention

 

September 23 was the first day of Fall. It was also National Falls Prevention Awareness Day, a time to raise awareness about how to prevent falls and fall-related injuries among older adults. Falls impact one in three Americans aged 65+ yearly. In Florida, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death and hospitalizations among residents in that age group. The sunshine state’s hospitalization rates due to falls are higher (327/100k) than the national average (310/100k).

 

And even within a hospital or other health care facility, falls account for approximately one-third of all patient incidents. Falls cause 95% of all hip fractures. That high number has the power to greatly reduce an older adult’s independence and participation in daily activities. They not only feel social isolated, their fall leads to an increased fear of falling, decreased physical activity, deconditioning, decreased muscle strength and decreased balance and agility – all of which further increase the risk of falls.

 

Falls are costly in quality of life and dollars to hospitals, the health care system and to patients and families. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the estimated annual cost to the U.S. healthcare system of fall-related injuries is $30 billion.

 

But here’s some good news that is priceless: falls are not an inevitable or normal part of the ageing process. Many falls can be prevented and there are many ways that interdisciplinary health care teams and older adults can actively participate in falls prevention. There is evidence that falls prevention saves not only lives, but also money.

 

An evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce the rates of patient falls in a rehabilitation hospital found that the rate of falls on the intervention unit was reduced by approximately 50% to 4 falls/1000 patient days, while the rates of falls on the control unit remained at similar levels (8 falls/1000 patient days). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Evaluation of Community-based Wellness and Prevention Programs reported “Matter of Balance workshops participation was associated with a $938 decrease in total medical costs per year (CI: -$1,498, -$379). This finding was driven by a $517 reduction in unplanned hospitalization costs, a $234 reduction in skilled nursing facility costs, and an $81 reduction in home health costs.”

 

In Florida, an initiative led by Florida Health Networks, LLC (FHN) with Area Agencies on Aging and the aging network, in collaboration with the Florida Physical Therapy Association Falls Prevention Task Force, is ready to bring evidence-based solutions to health care providers. The Administration for Community Living has awarded a $400,000 grant to FHN to build the capacity of community organizations to deliver evidence-based falls prevention programs in the community.

 

FHN brings an incredible capacity and resources to decrease the rate of falls in older adults living with multiple chronic conditions and decrease overall cost of care. Considering that in 2013, falls accounted for 51% of the non-fatal injury hospitalizations (63,197) and for 21% of the fatal injuries (2,613) in Florida, now is the time, with great programs in place, to work together and stand up for falls prevention

 

To gain access to helpful information about what is happening in Florida for falls prevention, visit www.fpta.org or www.floridahealthnetworks.org.