Prevention of Falls in General Practitioner for Community-dwelling Older Adults [PreFalls]

Prevention of Falls in Community-dwelling Older Adults by a Standardized Assessment of Fall Risks in the General Practitioner Setting and Through Implementation of a Network for Effective Individual Reduction on Fall Risks.

The primary aim of this two-year project for falls prevention is to reduce number of falls and fall incidence in community-dwelling people of 65 years and older in the setting of general practitioners. In addition a reduction of fall-related injuries, reduction of fall-related risk factors and preservation of Quality of Life is to be achieved.

A second goal of this study is the implementation of standardized assessment for fall risk factors as well as building up a network between instructors for fall prevention exercise and general practitioners.

Health related consequences of falls are underestimated. In comparison to different health related risk factors like hypertension etc. falls and their risks are being underestimated by many physicians. Regardless of the high relevance of falls for the elderly as well as the Health Care System, risk of falling is only rarely being assessed. The reasons for this are manifold. Insufficient assessment of risk of falling are one of the reasons. Many registered doctors with their own practice do not use a standardized assessment of risk of falling that is quick and effective. Additionally, patients rarely report occurred falls to their physicians because they don't know the implications or are afraid of subsequently losing their independence.

Physicians already assessing their senior patients' risk of falling lack the possibility to assign them to according ambulatory interventions since these scarcely exist in Bavaria. Chances for improvement are: standardized assessment of risk of falling needed to uncover senior patients' risk of falling quickly, reliably and efficiently at their family physician's. At the same time area-wide programs to effectively reduce falls by targeting individual behavior as well as general conditions must be provided to maintain the independence of individual senior citizens.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Target group are community-dwelling senior citizens aged 65 years or above with an increased risk of falling.

• Increased risk of falling are seen by:

  • history of falls
  • fear of falling
  • chair rise > 10 sec./TUG > 10 sec./ subjective & objective balance deficits

Exclusion Criteria:

• Elderly people not living independently or suffering from physical or mental restrictions that do not allow the participation in an exercise program or the assessment of risk of falling