Cochrane review shows that reducing trip hazards and decluttering can prevent falls among older people living at home

Measures to eliminate hazards around the home, such as reducing clutter, adding railings to stairs and improving poor lighting, can reduce the risk of falls for older people by around a quarter, according to a Cochrane review recently published.The review did not find any compelling evidence for other measures to reduce falls, such as making sure older people have the correct prescription glasses, special footwear, or education on avoiding falls.It also found that decluttering and reducing hazards had the most benefit for older people who are at risk of falls, for example because they have recently had a fall and been hospitalised or need support with daily activities such as dressing or using stairs.Nearly one third of people aged 65 years and older fall each year. Most falls occur in the home.Lindy Clemson, Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney, Australia was lead author of the review. She said: “Falls are very common among older people. They can cause serious injury or even death, but they are preventable. In this review we wanted to examine which measures could have the biggest impact on reducing falls among older people living at home.”Professor Clemson and her colleagues analysed the results of 22 studies including data on 8,463 older people living in the community.They found that taking measures to reduce fall hazards around the home lowers the overall rate of falls by 26%. This typically includes an assessment of fall hazards in and around the home and re...
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