TY - JOUR
T1 - The social epidemiology of falls among community-dwelling elderly
T2 - Guidelines for prevention
AU - Cwikel, J.
AU - Fried, A. V.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the members of our research group, Prof. B. Isaacs, Prof. D. Galinsky and Dr H. Ring for their encouragement and insights into fall prevention. This paper was supported in part by a grant from the Brookdale Institute of Gerontology and Adult Human Development in Israel. I dedicate this paper to my father-in-law, Albert Cwikel, of blessed memory, who taught me about falls and adaptation in later life (J.C.).
PY - 1992/1/1
Y1 - 1992/1/1
N2 - Social epidemiology offers a conceptual model that organizes the risk factors for falls into demographic, medical and psychosocial host factors, environmental factors and the agent in falls. Once identified in such a manner it is possible to differentiate between those factors which are or are not amenable to change or treatment, thus suggesting methods of fall prevention. Fall prevention strategies are feasible before a fall, at the time of a fall, and following an injurious fall, corresponding to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. At each level of prevention, prevention strategies are described, and together they constitute a complete fall prevention programme for community-dwelling elderly. A review of those strategies that have been evaluated shows that their efficacy in reducing the incidence of falls and their adverse complications is generally limited. Thus, further evaluation research is needed in order to incorporate the most effective fall prevention programmes into standard community care for the elderly.
AB - Social epidemiology offers a conceptual model that organizes the risk factors for falls into demographic, medical and psychosocial host factors, environmental factors and the agent in falls. Once identified in such a manner it is possible to differentiate between those factors which are or are not amenable to change or treatment, thus suggesting methods of fall prevention. Fall prevention strategies are feasible before a fall, at the time of a fall, and following an injurious fall, corresponding to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. At each level of prevention, prevention strategies are described, and together they constitute a complete fall prevention programme for community-dwelling elderly. A review of those strategies that have been evaluated shows that their efficacy in reducing the incidence of falls and their adverse complications is generally limited. Thus, further evaluation research is needed in order to incorporate the most effective fall prevention programmes into standard community care for the elderly.
KW - Elderly
KW - Falls
KW - Social epidemiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026785610&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/09638289209165846
DO - 10.3109/09638289209165846
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0026785610
SN - 0963-8288
VL - 14
SP - 113
EP - 121
JO - Disability and Rehabilitation
JF - Disability and Rehabilitation
IS - 3
ER -