Prevention of falling in older persons with a high risk of recurrent falling
Contact: Geeske Peeters
It can be questioned whether falls prevention clinics initiated for older persons result in a reduction of falls. Researcher Geeske Peeters concluded that this treatment should not be routinely offered to older persons after a fall.
Falling is a common problem among older persons. Annually, 30% of the persons of 65 years and older fall at least once. The consequences can be severe, like fractures or fear of falling. Over the last couple of years, fall prevention clinics have started examining older persons for fall risk factors. This is in agreement with the national guideline. Peeters studied whether this also led to a reduction of falls in persons with the highest fall risk. Older fallers were selected and divided into two groups. The first group was invited to the outpatient clinic of the VU University Medical Centre for assessment and treatment of fall risk factors. Examples of advices were referrals to physiotherapist or ophthalmologist or cessation of sleeping-pills. The second group received usual care from the general practitioner. After one year, the groups did not differ with respect to fall risk. Peeters concludes in her thesis that this approach does not have the aimed effect in older persons with the highest fall risk.
In their fight against overweight and cardiovascular diesases, the clinicians and public authorities stimulate physical activity. In older persons, high levels of activity may be associated with a higher fall risk due to an increased exposure to hazardous situations. Peeters tested this assumption and found the opposite: for every 30 minutes extra activity per day, the risk of recurrent falling decreased with 4%. Public authorities can proceed stimulating physical activity in older persons.