page_title: Fall prevention
section_title: Environmental modification
hierarchical_section_title: Fall prevention / Environmental modification
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of modern-day Walker taken January 23, 2006. Photographer releases all rights worldwide.Deutsch: Foto des modernen Walker genommen am 23. Januar 2006. Fotograf gibt alle Rechte weltweit frei.
context_page_description: Fall prevention is a variety of actions to help reduce the number of accidental falls suffered by older people.
  Falls and fall related injuries are among the most serious and common medical problems experienced by older adults. Nearly one-third of older persons fall each year, and half of them fall more than once. Over 3 million American 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 underlying osteoporosis and decreased mobility and reflexes, falls often result in hip fractures and other fractures, head injuries, and even death in older adults. Accidental injuries are the fifth most common cause of death in older adults. In around 75% of hip fracture patients, recovery is incomplete and overall health deteriorates.
  The most consistently proven predictors of fall risk are history of a fall during the past year and gait and balance abnormalities. Some studies indicated that impaired vision, certain medications, decreased activities of daily living and impaired cognition are associated with a higher risk of falls.
context_section_description: The home environment can present many hazards. Common places for injurious falls are the bathtub and steps. Changes to the home environment are aimed at reducing hazards and help support a person in daily activities. Changes could include minimizing clutter, installing grab bars in the shower or tub or near the toilet, and installing non-slip decals to slippery surfaces. Stairs can be improved by providing 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. Currently, there is insufficient scientific evidence to ensure the effectiveness of modification of the home environment to reduce injuries. It appears that changes to the environment are not easily implemented because of low uptake by study participants. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that pre-discharge home assessments are associated with a reduced risk of falling.
caption: Front-wheeled walker.
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