Falls among older adults are common and costly, and, much of the time, preventable. In this study the GEAR Network set out to find research areas to improve fall identification and prevention practices that can be used in the emergency department.
Falls range from minor to fatal; even minor falls can cause psychological distress and fear, leading older adults to feel dependent and chained to their bedrooms. In addition, stigma is a major problem so only a small percentage of older adults report their falls. Falling one time doubles an individual’s risk for falling again.
