Fall prevention includes any action taken to help reduce the number of accidental falls suffered by susceptible individuals, such as the elderly (idiopathic) and people with neurological (Parkinson's, Multiple sclerosis, stroke survivors, Guillain-Barre, traumatic brain injury, incomplete spinal cord injury) or orthopedic (lower limb or spinal column fractures or arthritis, post-surgery, joint replacement, lower limb amputation, soft tissue injuries) indications. Adults aged 65 years and older have a 30% chance of falling each year, making fall-related injuries the leading cause of accident-related death for this demographic. Current approaches to fall prevention are problematic because even though awareness is high among professionals that work with seniors and fall prevention activities are pervasive among community living establishments, fall death rates among older adults have more than doubled. The challenges are believed to be three-fold. First, insufficient evidence exists that any fall risk screening instrument is adequate for predicting falls. While the strongest predictors of fall risk tend to include a history of falls during the past year, gait, and balance abnormalities, existing models show a strong bias and therefore mostly fail to differentiate between adults that are at low risk and high risk of falling. Second, current fall prevention interventions in the United States are limited between short-term individualized therapy provided by a high-cost physical therapist or longer-term wellness activity provided in a low-cost group setting. Neither arrangement is optimum in preventing falls over a large population, especially as these evidence-based physical exercise programs have limited effectiveness (approximately 25%). Even multifactorial interventions, which include extensive physical exercise, medication adjustment, and environmental modification only lower fall risk by 31% after 12 months, and by 21% after 24 months. Questions around effectiveness of current approaches (physical exercise and multifactorial interventions) have been found in multiple settings, including long-term care facilities and hospitals. The final challenge is adherence. Average adherence in group-based fall prevention exercise programs is around 66%, mostly due to the highly repetitive nature of the programs and the extremely long duration required for noticeable benefits accrue. Adherence to physical therapy can be even lower. When adherence is below 70%, effectiveness of fall prevention physical exercise programs can drop to less than 10%. Practitioners are aware that the most successful approach to fall prevention utilizes a multimodal, motor-cognitive training approach that could be introduced to all adults over 65. The scientific basis of this approach is an understanding of how the dual-task paradigm induces neuroplasticity in the brain, especially in aging populations. This is driving a growing body of research that specifically links the cognitive sub-domains of attention and executive function (EF) to gait alterations and fall risk.

Cost of falls

Falls and fall-related injuries are among the most common but serious medical problems experienced by older adults. Nearly one-third of older people fall each year, half of which fall more than once per year. Over 3 million Americans over the age of 65 visited hospital emergency departments in 2015 due to fall-related injuries, with over 1.6 million being admitted. Because of decreased bone density due to osteoporosis, mobility, and reflexes, falls often result in hip fractures and other fractures, head injuries, and death in older adults. Accidental injuries are the fifth most common cause of death in older adults. 75% of hip fracture patients do not recover completely and show signs of overall health deterioration.

Strategies and interventions

Motor-cognitive training is increasingly viewed as the gold standard for healthy aging and fall prevention. One approach that has been researched is the introduction of semi-immersive virtual reality simulation during treadmill training. Initially conceptualized by the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center with funding from the Michael J Fox Foundation and the European Commission, V-TIME projects a real-time image of participants' feet onto a large screen at eye-level while the participants are walking on a treadmill. The virtual environment introduces multiple physical and cognitive challenges while the participant is in dynamic motion. This one approach to motor-cognitive training was found to repeatedly reduce falls by 50% after 5 weeks of 15 sessions across multiple clinical trials and multiple indications (idiopathic, Parkinson's, Multiple sclerosis ). The biological manifestations of this improvement were identified through functional MRI, which showed changes in brain activity patterns for patients that were exposed to combined motor-cognitive training, as opposed to exclusively physical training. Physical activity is important for older adults because it plays a major role in limiting the loss of muscle mass and strength, while also stimulating postural control. There are some exercise types that have a higher rate of effectiveness for prevention of falls than others. Postural training is one of the main key exercises to prevent falls. It focuses on improving balance and stability, which is important. Pilates is a type of training shown to improve the postural system. ] Resistance training also has a positive impact on older adults. It is shown that it causes a major increase in strength and muscle size. It is important to combine muscle strengthening exercises and balance training together to ensure reduced risks of falls. An older adult should be focusing more on strengthening their legs, hip, and core muscles. Strengthening these muscles will provide them with more stability. These exercises may minimize or reduce physical frailty. The elderly population can benefit the most from exercising. Other preventative measures with positive effects include strength and balance training, home risk assessment, the withdrawal of psychotropic medication, cardiac pacing for those with carotid sinus hypersensitivity, and tai chi. Resistance exercise two or three times a week with ankle weights or elastic bands has been proven in tests to rebuild lost muscle mass, improve balance and strength, and reduce falls in adults of all ages: it was first tested in New Zealand by the Otago Medical School in four controlled trials, in which about 1,000 older adults with an average age 84 participated. Falls among a test group that did the Otago routines three times a week for 12 months was 35% fewer than a control group that did not use the routines. Two similar 12-month tests were conducted in the US using residents in assisted and skilled nursing facilities with one group showing a 54% reduction in falls. After the age of 50, adults experience a decrease in muscle mass (sarcopenia) by approximately 2% every year. A systematic review concluded that resistance training can slow down the rate of loss in muscle mass and strength. It has been recommended that older adults participate in resistance training two to three times a week to weaken the effects of sarcopenia. Assistive technology can also be applied, although it is mostly reactive in case of a fall. Exercise as a single intervention has been shown to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults. A systematic review suggests that having an exercise regimen that includes challenging balance workouts for three or more hours per week results in a lesser chance of falling. Resistance training has been shown to be beneficial beyond fall prevention, as it also helps improve functional mobility and activities of daily living such as walking endurance, gait speed, and stair climbing. Research explains that this significant increase in performance can be accomplished after the age of 90. For older adults to gain confidence in resistance training, which may ultimately lead to falling prevention effects, they must obtain the recommended amount of daily activity. A clinical trial concluded that combining resistance and balance training showed a significant benefit in increasing stabilizer muscle strength and innervation through neuromuscular adaptions from performing resistance training on a dynamic surface. Stabilizer muscles in the trunk and lower extremities are activated through the balance aspect of the regiment. The trial also showed a significant improvement in walking speed which is a risk factor for morbidity, hospitalization, and disability. A meaningful change in walking speed is defined as an increase of 0.05 meters per second. The Resistance and Balance training group showed an improvement of 0.37 meters per second, contrasting the 0.11 meters per second improvement of the resistance training group. Dynamic balance, lower limb function, and walking speed are strong indicators of physical functionality and level of dependence. These skills are significant for preventing falls. The aim of medical management is to identify factors that can contribute to falls and fracture risk such as osteoporosis, multiple medications, balance and gait problems, loss of vision and a history of falls. Beers Criteria is a list of medications that are potentially inappropriate for use in the elderly and some of them increase the risk of falls. Falls are well known amongst community-dwelling individuals ages 65 and older. The risk of fall-related incidents nearly doubles when individuals are institutionalized. The impact on different falls in certain situation of fall prevention programs on the rate differences of falls in elderly population has not been reported. As well as cognitive impairment, functional impairment, gait, and balance disorders, certain medications can increase fall risk factors for patients. At an advanced age, these risk factors are double and more likely to occur. It's important to identify the risk factors that increase the likelihood of injurious falls. State-level fall prevention strategies can also mitigate fall risk for community-dwelling older adults. Studies have shown that there is a high agreement on guidelines for fall prevention across clinical practices. These include (but are not limited to): the use of specific tests for gait and balance assessments, multifactorial interventions, medication review, physical exercises, vision and footwear intervention, physiotherapy referral, environment modification, risk stratification, management of osteoporosis and fracture risk, and cardiovascular interventions. Balance of Older adults can be examined through the Burg Balance Scale. This test is useful for measuring the dependance of an older adult. The Burg Balance Scale can also be used to predict falls and postural balance inefficiencies through a 14 item test of functional movements the individual may be presented with throughout daily activities. Participants are scored and placed into levels of dependence based on their score. Individuals with the score 41-56 are designated as independent, scores 21-40 designation is walking with assistance (ie. cane or walker), and scores 0-20 designation is requiring a wheel chair. This test can be used as a measure of baseline ability and post intervention ability.

Risk factors of falls

Older adults

Studies have shown that adults over the age of 65 are more prone to falls than younger, healthy adults. Most falls in older adults are due to: Living a sedentary lifestyle long term can increase loss of muscle function.

Stroke

Individuals who have had a stroke have higher fall rates. Approximately 30% fall at least once a year and 15% fall twice or more. Risk factors for falls in stroke survivors are:

Parkinson's disease

Most people with Parkinson's disease (PD) fall and many experience recurrent falls. A study reported that over 50% of persons with PD fell recurrently. Direct and indirect causes of falls in patients with PD:

Multiple sclerosis

There is a high prevalence of falls among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), with approximately 50% reporting a fall within the past six months. About 30% of those individuals report falling multiple times.

Dementia

Studies suggest that men are twice as likely to fall as women. Common causes of falls in dementia include:

Fear of falling (basophobia)

Basophobia is a term used in many circumstances to describe the fear of falling in either normal or special situations. It refers to uncomfortable sensations that may be experienced by older people. These sensations can include lower-body weakness or loss of balance, which can induce a frightening sensation of falling that can lead to serious and potentially fatal injuries. Fear of falling has become a serious and common concern among older adults and impedes on one’s participation in daily activities. Negative consequences can result to impaired mobility, loss of independence, and a decreased quality of life. The state of an individual’s quality of life is important when regarding both positive and negative elements that may prohibit them from living life to the fullest. In some situations, the recurrent thought about falling has also been shown to lead to death within the elderly community. In a study done, experiences of falling were significantly associated with the fear of falling. The results showed that those who experienced falls within the previous month or previous year related their fall through recurrent thoughts of falling. This may lead to low self-confidence even when participating in nonhazardous activates. Rates of fear of falling in older adult communities range from 21.0% to 85.0% among those who have a history of falls and 33.0% to 46.0% among those who do not have a history of falling. Basophobia and its related activity avoidance among the elderly may lead to a vicious cycle of falls and functional impairment. It is important to be aware of this when working with the older population and recommending preventive strategies. Many strategies include the participation in community and home-based exercise programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga, meditation, and practicing good sleep hygiene. Restriction of these activities could lead to muscle weakness, postural instability, deconditioning and a higher prevalence of falls.

Healthy young individuals

Accidents are the most common cause of falls involving healthy adults, which may be the result of tripping on stairs, improper footwear, dark surroundings, slippery surfaces, uneven ground, or lack of exercise. Studies suggest that women are more prone to falling than men in all age groups. The most common injuries among younger patients occur in the hands, wrists, knees, and ankles.

Environmental modification

The home environment can present many hazards. Common places for injurious falls include the bathtub and stairs. Changes to the home environment are aimed at reducing hazards and help support a person in daily activities; they include minimizing clutter, installing grab bars in the bathroom, and installing non-slip decals to slippery surfaces. Stairs can be improved by installing handrails on both sides, improving lighting, and adding colour contrast between steps. Improvement in lighting and luminance levels can aid elderly people in assessing and negotiating hazards. Occupational therapists can help clients improve fall prevention behaviours. In addition, they can instruct clients and their family members on factors that contribute to falls, and implement environmental modifications and strategies to decrease the risk of falls. There is currently insufficient scientific evidence to ensure the effectiveness of modification of the home environment to reduce injuries. Evidence suggests that pre-discharge home assessments are associated with a reduced risk of falling.

Safety technology

Important improvements to prevent falls include handrails and grab bars, which should be easy to grip or grasp and should be near any stairs or change in floor level. Floors should always be flat and level, with no exposed corners or edges. Patterned floors can be dangerous if they create misleading or distorted images of the floor surface, and should be avoided. There are special handles and closed handgrips available in bathrooms and lavatories to help users bend down or over. For example, extra support for users when moving include walking sticks, crutches, and support frames, such as a walker. Flexible handles such as hanging straps can also be useful supports.

Eyeglasses selection and usage

Bifocal spectacles and trifocal eyeglasses are used to provide refractory correction ideal for reading (12–24 inches (30–60 cm) when the wearer looks downward through them. Reading glasses are not ideal for safe walking, where correction for 4.5–5 feet (137–152 cm) would be more appropriate.

Occupational and physical therapy

Studies show that balance, flexibility, strength, and motor-cognitive training not only improve mobility but also reduce the risk of falling. This may be achieved through group and home-based exercise programs or engagement with physical therapy clinics with the appropriate equipment. The majority of older adults do not exercise regularly and 35% of people over the age of 65 do not participate in any leisurely physical activities.

Older adults

In older adults, physical training and perturbation therapy is directed to improving balance recovery responses and preventing falls. Gait-related changes in the elderly provide a greater chance of stability during walking due to slower speed and greater base of support, but they also increase the chance of slipping or tripping and falling. Appropriate joint moment generation is required to create sufficient push-off for balance recovery. Age-related changes in muscles, tendons, and neural structures may contribute to slower reactive responses. Interventions involving resistance training along with perturbation training may prove to be beneficial in improving muscle strength and balance recovery.

Stroke recovery

Stroke exercises help patients regain mobility and strength in their bodies, and must be done regularly in order to regain muscle tone that helps prevent falls.

Exercises for prevention

One of the most important things for fall prevention in elderly populations is to stay physically fit. Specialized facilities and programs like seniors' parks are a good place to keep the elderly in shape and increase their resistance to falling. These facilities contain specialized equipment and training stations where elderly people can exercise. The parks usually have an extended amount of space and different stages reserved for different body exercises. Research suggests that participation in such programs successfully mitigates fall risk in the majority of attendees. There are many exercise programs that the elderly population can use to help decrease risk of falls. Falls occur in 25% of the senior population above 65 years of age. And falls cause 32,000 deaths a year in the United States. One research done with older adults and balance showed that multicomponent exercise with both aerobic and anaerobic components provide positive outcomes together with specific balance integrations. The program combined balance, strength, and functional training, Another research has shown that Multi-system Physiological Exercise or MPE has potential to reduce risk of falls. This study placed 36 individuals into a MPE group and compared to a baseline of a control group. It was found that the MPE group had improvements in proprioception, or awareness in space, hand reaction time, and sway path compared to the control group. Home exercise programs have been tested to the individual needs of the participant. The home exercise program called T&E (Test and Exercise) was compared to two other fall prevention programs such as the Otago and Helsana programs. The T&E programs allowed for higher participation from the individuals which lead to a larger effect on their quality of life. The exercises most attuned for the prevention of falls includes multicomponent resistance training and specified balance training. Implementation of these exercises have been shown to reduce risk of falls and should be incorporated in exercise programs for older adults with a fall risk. Physical and Occupational therapist use similar exercises to treat fall risk patients. Structured exercise programs allow seniors to reduce fall risk and generally increase quality of life. Proprioception (the ability to sense where the body is in a space) increases and muscular strength and endurance allow for older adults to help themselves if a fall where to occur. Another type of exercise that has been seen to be beneficial in decreasing fall risk, specifically in older women, is pilates. Pilates has been found to be a safe form of exercise for older adults compared to a big gym setting due to its more serene and calm setting, which also can improve an older adult’s mental stability and their quality of life. Pilates was found to effectively improve balance which was able to decrease their risk of fall. Studies show that pilates leads to an increase in mobility as well which contributes to a lower fall risk. Due to pilates showing positive effects on balance, leg strength, and mental well-being, this allows older adults to be more physically and mentally strong. These factors can allow for elderly people to be more confident to decrease their fall risk. Studies have also found VR on Xbox Kinect is beneficial for an elderly persons’ balance and their fear of falling. A study conducted on 60 older individuals living in a nursing home participated in VR exercises on an Xbox Kinect for 30-45 minutes every week for 6 weeks. Once the study was completed, those in the intervention group were found to have better balance as well as a decreased score of fear of falling. Other forms of training, such as aerobic, anaerobic, and proprioceptive exercises can also be used to increase balance to lower the risk of falls in the elderly population. There have been a couple of studies that have found that an increase in muscle strength will also strengthen an older person’s balance due to their nervous and muscular systems are not as fully functional. One of these exercises is Tai-Chi, which not only improves balance, but also quality of life, flexibility, and strength. Environmental modifications, like improving lighting, removing tripping hazards, and repairing uneven surfaces, further contribute to fall prevention. Addressing these hazards within everyday settings helps make interventions practical and accessible, empowering older adults to actively engage in improving their stability and reducing fall risks. Challenges such as transportation barriers, gaps in care continuity, and the need for sustained support for frail individuals are noted in the research. Long-term, sustainable fall-prevention programs benefit from partnerships between healthcare providers, caregivers, and community resources, helping to maintain independence and enhance quality of life for older adults. These efforts not only improve patient outcomes but also reduce the broader strain on healthcare systems, highlighting the societal value of comprehensive, community-based fall-prevention interventions.