Falls

Question 1

What is the personal impact of falls?

Answer 1

• injury (but only 3% of falls results in #)
• reduced confidence
• reduced activity
• reduced independence
• reduced community participation
• increased likelihood of being admitted into residential care (10x)

Question 2

When do falls occur

Answer 2

Falls occur when an individual’s physiology can’t cope with task being performed and/or the environment in which it’s being performed in

Question 3

What factors are influence falls?

Answer 3

Medication (sleeping pills, benzos)
Ageing
Disease (diabetes, stroke, CVD)
Inactivity (this is the most significant)

Question 4

What are the majority of falls due to? Trips, slips, or loss of balance?

Answer 4

Trips (40%)

- slips are 13% and loss of balance 20%

Question 5

What are physical factors that affect falls?

Answer 5

Balance
Strength
Vision
Sensation
Reaction time
Cardiovascular

Question 6

What components form the falls assessment

Answer 6

1. Constrast sensitivity
2. Proprioception (seated, eyes closed, match toes together)
3. Strength
4. Reaction time
5. Postural sway (on foam and hard surface; eyes open and closed)

Question 7

What are the exercise recommendations for balance?

Answer 7

1. Exercise should provide a high challenge to balance
   - reduce the BoS - narrow, tandem, single leg
   - moving CoG + controlling body position while standing (eg. during reaching, stepping up)
   - standing without using arms for support

*and exercise needs to be ongoing!

Question 8

What are other exericse recommendations for preventing falls?

Answer 8

2. 3+ hours of exercise/week
3. Ongoing exercise
4. Group or home based
5. Targeted at at-risk people AND general community
6. Inclusion of walking training but no brisk walkign for high risk people bc this increases their chance of falling
7. Strength training
8. Refer if there are other impairments (eg vision)

Question 9

What factors influences someone’s desire to engage in PA?

Answer 9

• physical limitations
• competing responsibilities
• access difficulties
• personal beliefs about PA
• motivation and beliefs
• social influences

Question 10

What do people value in falls prevention program?

Answer 10

• can be done at home and no need for transport
• 60% improvement in ADLs
• free
• people DON’T like:
• 30-60 min travel
• cost of $50

Question 11

What are the 3 factors that affect behaviour

Answer 11

• their capability physically/psychologically
• their motivation
• opportunity