1) True or False:
To avoid falling injury, older people with unsteady gait should not
venture out of their homes unnecessarily.
False. There is convincing evidence that isolation and withdrawal
from activities increases the risk of falling. 2)
Who are more likely to sustain a fracture from a fall--men or women?
Women, because osteoporosis is much more prevalent. In fact, 80%
of hip fractures occur in women.
3) What percentage of falls take
place in the home?
a) 20% c) 60%
b) 40% d) 80%
c) 60%. Seniors fall most often in the very environment with which
they are most familiar.
4) What proportion of falls among
seniors result in serious injury?
a) 10% c) 50%
b) 30% d) More than 50%
a) About 10%. This figure varies depending on how one defines "serious."
Roughly 20% of falls result in injuries that require some kind of
medical intervention.
5) Which is more important for
reducing falls: reducing hazards in the home, or addressing health
factors?
Addressing health factors by identifying and treating underlying
causes. Although all authorities also advise hazard reduction in
the home, well-designed trials have yielded inconsistent results.
6) Which of the following has
been shown to increase the chances of a fall?
a) Thick-soled or poorly fitting shoes.
b) Multifocal lenses (bifocals, trifocals).
c) Fear of falling.
d) All of the above.
d) All of the above. Well-fitting shoes with thin, hard, slip-resistant
soles help reduce falls. Multifocal lenses approximately double
the risk of falling due to impaired ground-level depth perception.
And, excessive fear of falling has been shown to be an aggravating
factor.
7) True or False: Roughly
12 million people age 65 and older fall each year.
True. There are almost 35,000,000 people in that age group, and
about one third experience a fall each year.
8) True or False: Hip
fractures often occur in the upright position, thus actually causing
one to fall.
False! This misconception still persists in the minds of some people.
All but a tiny number of hip fractures result from the impact of
a fall. |
