What You Can Do

Consider the following ways to reduce your risk of falling at home.

• Tell your healthcare provider if you have fallen in the last year and describe how you fell.
• Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about medications you take.
• Tell your healthcare provider if you feel weak in your legs or have other problems with your legs or feet.
• Tell your doctor if you are experiencing vision or hearing loss.

Why do we fall? One of the greatest fears among senior citizens is the fear of falling.  This fear is not an irrational fear.  Falling is a primary catalyst for hospital admission among seniors.  Many of the seniors admitted to a hospital after a fall never go home. In fact, falls are responsible for over 40% of nursing home admissions.  Even worse, 70% of accidental deaths in people over 75 years of age are caused by falls.  Falling can be caused by many factors.  Some are internal, such as slowed reflexes, balance disorders, low blood pressure, visual deficits, etc.  External factors, such as poor lighting or the effects of medications, are other causes.  Some of these reasons are not particular to seniors.  In fact, younger people also fall, but the consequences of falling are much less severe for younger people.

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