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Fall Risk in the Elderly
Every year, millions of seniors suffer from a fall. More than 1 out of 4 older people fall each year & yet less than half report their falls to their doctors. Dr. Thomas Robb discusses the fall risks attributed to the elderly.
Featured Speaker:
Thomas Robb, DO
Thomas Robb, DO is a surgeon who is fellowship-trained in trauma surgery with over 25 years of experience. I have developed and directed two trauma centers and am currently the trauma medical director at MSLCH and have lived in the Newburgh area for almost 20 years. I have engaged in public speaking events both locally and nationally and I am a reviewer for the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Transcription:
Fall Risk in the Elderly
Caitlin Whyte (Host): Every year, millions of seniors suffer from a fall. In fact, more than a one out of four older people falls each year, but less than half even tell their doctor. Today, we are discussing fall risk in the elderly with Dr. Thomas Robb, the Trauma Medical Director at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall.
This is Doc Talk presented by Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. So we're talking about fall risks in our older friends and family. To start us off, how serious can a bad fall be for someone over 65 years old?
Thomas Robb, DO (Guest): It'd be quite serious. So patients who are elderly, who fall or a particular risk for certain types of injuries. Certainly we all know about the fractured hips that older folks can get, but because of other medical problems, particularly bone disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, they're at risk for further bone injuries, even broken necks, fractured ribs, and that sort of thing.
Host: And what are some health conditions or other risks that might make someone more likely to fall?
Dr. Robb: Well, people, as they get older, sometimes their mental facilities are not what they used to be. Certain early dementia and confusion can lead to higher risk of falls, but other things such as diabetes and changes in your eyesight and visual problems and not being able to navigate throughout your home, can also put you at risk for falls.
Host: And you mentioned all the types of fractures that could happen if someone falls, but what are some other things that could result after a fall that could happen to a person internally?
Dr. Robb: So falls certainly can be commonly from a from a standing height, so somebody trips and falls who has difficulty navigating their way into the bathroom and out of the bathroom. But things like falls from stairs can have kind of a devastating injuries sometimes, including internal bleeding, such as spleen injuries, liver injuries, and more serious fractures such as pelvis fractures. And this can lead to ongoing long-term disability.
Host: Well, then what can we do to prevent falls? And how can we make our home safer?
Dr. Robb: Prevention is one of the best ways to address it early on and having a home with attention to detail in order to avoid fall risk is probably the first thing to do and things like eliminating throw rugs, grab bars in the shower and having a well-lit home goes a long way in assisring elderly people.
Host: Is there anything else we can do when we're out and about, you know, we can control our homes and how they're arranged, but what if we're at a friend's home or we're out at the stores, how can we be conscious of fall risks there?
Dr. Robb: So the best way is to assess your risks. So everybody's an individual and different people have different medical problems, which may put them at a higher risk for falls. So certainly managing your medical problems, making sure your vision is as best as it could be. And also assessing what your status is and your ability to walk. Do you need an assistive device? So people who really kind of need walkers or canes that are support them a little bit more sometimes are not using them. They pick something up over the counter center and they make the best of what they can do. Probably being assessed by a professional is the best way to go. And the right device an assistive device can be prescribed for you.
Host: And how would someone begin that process? If they're beginning to feel a little uneasy or they've fallen already, where can they go to, like you said, start that conversation with a professional?
Dr. Robb: Discussing these things with your primary care provider, somebody who knows you, who knows your medical problems and hopefully knows you longterm and can actually maybe even assess the progression over a period of time so they can give a sense of what you need and refer you to the right people for assessment. There's ways of testing people's balance, there's physical medicine and rehab people who can assess people's gaits and their ability to ambulate and then prescribe the appropriate device to help reduce fall risk.
Host: As we wrap up this episode, is there anything we didn't touch on, any tips or strategies that you want people to know about fall risk in the elderly?
Dr. Robb: I think sometimes with elderly folks that the assessment of risk and addressing concerns really needs to start with family. And maybe that person themselves may not be cognizant of what's going on, at least not a hundred percent or appreciate the risk. And certainly the family being involved and maybe even addressing concerns with the primary care provider, maybe the first step.
I think the only other piece of it is really to appreciate how much of a problem this is. So I am fortunate to be the Director of the Trauma Center and our Trauma Center, as in just about every trauma center in the country, their number one reason for admission is falls.
Host: Well, thank you so much for joining us today. That was Dr. Thomas Robb, the Trauma Medical Director at Montefiore. Visit montefioreslc.org for more information. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out all the other Doc Talk episodes. This has been Doc Talk, the podcast for Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital.
I'm Caitlin Whyte. Stay well.
Fall Risk in the Elderly
Caitlin Whyte (Host): Every year, millions of seniors suffer from a fall. In fact, more than a one out of four older people falls each year, but less than half even tell their doctor. Today, we are discussing fall risk in the elderly with Dr. Thomas Robb, the Trauma Medical Director at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall.
This is Doc Talk presented by Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall. I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. So we're talking about fall risks in our older friends and family. To start us off, how serious can a bad fall be for someone over 65 years old?
Thomas Robb, DO (Guest): It'd be quite serious. So patients who are elderly, who fall or a particular risk for certain types of injuries. Certainly we all know about the fractured hips that older folks can get, but because of other medical problems, particularly bone disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, they're at risk for further bone injuries, even broken necks, fractured ribs, and that sort of thing.
Host: And what are some health conditions or other risks that might make someone more likely to fall?
Dr. Robb: Well, people, as they get older, sometimes their mental facilities are not what they used to be. Certain early dementia and confusion can lead to higher risk of falls, but other things such as diabetes and changes in your eyesight and visual problems and not being able to navigate throughout your home, can also put you at risk for falls.
Host: And you mentioned all the types of fractures that could happen if someone falls, but what are some other things that could result after a fall that could happen to a person internally?
Dr. Robb: So falls certainly can be commonly from a from a standing height, so somebody trips and falls who has difficulty navigating their way into the bathroom and out of the bathroom. But things like falls from stairs can have kind of a devastating injuries sometimes, including internal bleeding, such as spleen injuries, liver injuries, and more serious fractures such as pelvis fractures. And this can lead to ongoing long-term disability.
Host: Well, then what can we do to prevent falls? And how can we make our home safer?
Dr. Robb: Prevention is one of the best ways to address it early on and having a home with attention to detail in order to avoid fall risk is probably the first thing to do and things like eliminating throw rugs, grab bars in the shower and having a well-lit home goes a long way in assisring elderly people.
Host: Is there anything else we can do when we're out and about, you know, we can control our homes and how they're arranged, but what if we're at a friend's home or we're out at the stores, how can we be conscious of fall risks there?
Dr. Robb: So the best way is to assess your risks. So everybody's an individual and different people have different medical problems, which may put them at a higher risk for falls. So certainly managing your medical problems, making sure your vision is as best as it could be. And also assessing what your status is and your ability to walk. Do you need an assistive device? So people who really kind of need walkers or canes that are support them a little bit more sometimes are not using them. They pick something up over the counter center and they make the best of what they can do. Probably being assessed by a professional is the best way to go. And the right device an assistive device can be prescribed for you.
Host: And how would someone begin that process? If they're beginning to feel a little uneasy or they've fallen already, where can they go to, like you said, start that conversation with a professional?
Dr. Robb: Discussing these things with your primary care provider, somebody who knows you, who knows your medical problems and hopefully knows you longterm and can actually maybe even assess the progression over a period of time so they can give a sense of what you need and refer you to the right people for assessment. There's ways of testing people's balance, there's physical medicine and rehab people who can assess people's gaits and their ability to ambulate and then prescribe the appropriate device to help reduce fall risk.
Host: As we wrap up this episode, is there anything we didn't touch on, any tips or strategies that you want people to know about fall risk in the elderly?
Dr. Robb: I think sometimes with elderly folks that the assessment of risk and addressing concerns really needs to start with family. And maybe that person themselves may not be cognizant of what's going on, at least not a hundred percent or appreciate the risk. And certainly the family being involved and maybe even addressing concerns with the primary care provider, maybe the first step.
I think the only other piece of it is really to appreciate how much of a problem this is. So I am fortunate to be the Director of the Trauma Center and our Trauma Center, as in just about every trauma center in the country, their number one reason for admission is falls.
Host: Well, thank you so much for joining us today. That was Dr. Thomas Robb, the Trauma Medical Director at Montefiore. Visit montefioreslc.org for more information. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out all the other Doc Talk episodes. This has been Doc Talk, the podcast for Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital.
I'm Caitlin Whyte. Stay well.