Risk Factors

Unavoidable fall risk factors include age over 85 years, male sex, white race/ethnicity, and having a history of falls.^[6] Even so, advancing age in itself is not necessarily responsible for an increased risk of falling. Rather, the overall health status of the elderly is most strongly associated with the risk of a fall and subsequent injury.^[6] People older than 85 years who are in excellent health are at no greater risk of falls than those aged 65-84 years.

Other factors associated with greater rates of fall injuries in seniors include previous medical diagnoses (eg, cerebrovascular accidents/transient ischemic attacks), arthritis, fractures, dementia, diabetes, vitamin D deficiency, anemia, arrhythmias, neuropathy), impaired vision/hearing, recent hospital discharge, higher body mass index, poor sleep/obstructive sleep apnea, and urinary incontinence. Alcohol use is also a predictor for fall risk; therefore, clinicians should attempt to elicit an alcohol history from elderly patients.

The…