Falls Prevention: The Balance For Life Program

Older Adult   Professional   Volunteer

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Information for the Professional

Assessing the risk of falling in older adults is the first step in reducing falls. Professionals should ask the following questions of any older adult on a regular basis.

1. Have you fallen in the past year?
2. How many times have you fallen and how did you fall?
3. Are you afraid of falling?

Other things you can do:

1. Evaluate gait or balance problems
   1. - The Timed Up & Go (TUG) is an easy assessment to identify problems in balance and/or gait.
2. Review both prescribed and over-the-counter medications to ensure side effects are not causing dizziness or balance problems
3. Encourage older adult to rise slowly from a seated position to reduce effects of hypotension
4. Identify the fear of falling as many older adults limit their activities due to this fear yet studies have shown that exercise is one of the best interventions for the prevention of falls. Encourage an exercise program that includes gait, balance and lower body strengthening such as tai-chi
5. Recommend professionally delivered home safety evaluation to reduce environmental hazards
6. Recommend visit to the eye doctor
7. Screen and treat osteoporosis
   1. - Studies have shown that Vitamin D supplements decreases the risk of falling in older adults including those who do not have a Vitamin D deficiency. Studies also indicate the risk of falling for nursing home residents decreases by more than 70 percent when higher doses of Vitamin D supplements are given.^[1][2]
8. Educate older adults about foot problems and proper footwear

¹ Bischoff-Ferrari, H.A., Dawson-Hughes, B.,Willett, W.C., et al. Effect of vitamin d on falls: a meta-analysis. JAMA, 2004, 291:1999-2006.
² Broe, K.E., Chen, T.C., Weinberg, J., et al. A higher dose of vitamin d reduces the risk of falls in nursing home residents: a randomize, multiple-dose study. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 2007, 55:234-239.

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For more information, please contact Lale Gerger at 904-390-3224 or LaleG@uwnefl.org