In a split second, your life can change forever: From upright to unconscious and from independent to helpless, all because of an unanticipated fall. Certainly, the data about falls and older adults are scary: It’s reported that an older adult dies from a fall every 19 minutes, and every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in an emergency room for a fall-related injury. In fact, falls are the leading cause of accidental death in adults 65 and older. So what are you doing to ensure you’re safe and sound with feet on the ground? As a starting point, reacquaint yourself with prior agebuzz posts as well as our helpful resources on falls and fall prevention. 

Recently published research on falls and fall prevention efforts underscore how tough a problem this is. For example, a recent study out of the University of Michigan School of Nursing and published in JAMA Network Open found that for older adults, the risk of falling rises substantially in the month before a hospitalization and continues to be quite elevated post-hospitalization, especially if there’s a fall during the hospital admission. Since falls are often an early sign that a person has an underlying health problem, fall prevention programs in the community could potentially pick up other health problems before they become serious enough to warrant hospitalization. And fall prevention efforts are also necessary both within hospitals and post-discharge, where patients may be at elevated risk. But it seems that fall prevention programs, even those tailored to meet the individual needs of a patient, are difficult to mount effectively, as was found in a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Individuals often underestimate their risk of falling and real-world problems such as the cost and access to care and preventive efforts mean fall prevention will continue to be a growing challenge as our population ages.

Nonetheless, there are dedicated efforts to lessen the risk of falls among older adults. Upcoming in September is Fall Prevention Awareness Week and in preparation, the National Council on Aging has a terrific set of checklists, videos, and tips, as well as links to fall prevention programs in your community. And recognizing that one of the most common causes of falls are the medications you consume, Better Health While Aging has an updated post of the 10 Types of Medications to Review if You’re Concerned About Falling. So open your medicine chest and check it out here.