Approach to falls among the elderly in the community.
Singapore Med J
; 61(3): 116-121, 2020 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32488276
ABSTRACT
One in three community-dwelling elderly aged ≥ 65 years and one in two aged > 80 years will have at least one fall within a year. Many elderly people are 'silent fallers' who do not report the fall nor seek medical assistance unless they are injured. In Singapore, falls account for 40% of injury-related deaths. Unaddressed risk factors for falls lead to recurrent falls and poor quality of life. Elderly people who have experienced falls and near falls can have a fear of falling, post-fall anxiety syndrome, depression and reduction in activities, with a negative impact on their well-being. Primary care doctors can screen and optimise modifiable risk factors such as poor vision, balance, poor gait, motor weakness, joint disorders, psychotropic drugs, sedatives, anti-hypertension medications, choice of footwear and environment factors. Timely referrals for cataract operations, balance and strengthening exercises, and osteoporosis treatment can reduce the risk of falls and injurious outcomes.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Acidentes por Quedas
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged
/
Aged80
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Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Singapore Med J
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Singapura