Falls among the Elderly – Preventive Physiotherapy Aspects

A fall is an incident that results in an individual coming to rest unintentionally on the floor or ground or other lower level¹ and can result in fracture, dislocation, traumatic brain injury, and even death. ². Not all falls will result in injury, but even a minor fall could have catastrophic effects on physical and mental health3,4. Falls represent the most frequent and serious type of accident in people aged 65 years and older and are the most common mechanism of injury in elderly trauma patients presenting to accident and emergency units. The risk of falls and related complications dramatically increases with age and can be an indication of increasing frailty, as per the research report of the Scottish government6. A major component of age-related weakness and frailty is the gradual loss of muscle tissue (sarcopenia). As age advances, the role of preventive physiotherapy is to help recondition muscle strength and restore movement, balance, and function15.