NEWARK, N.J., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Fall prevention for the elderly that combines education about risks with exercise, home safety and health assessments may reduce U.S. disability levels.
Vicki Freedman, a professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, compared three strategies to reduce late-life disability: increasing physical activity, identifying and treating depression, and avoiding falls.
The review found that fall-prevention efforts targeted at frail adults can reduce the risk of falling and related injuries by about 25 percent. Community-wide efforts that have been tested abroad were shown to reduce fall-related fractures by 6 percent to 33 percent, says Freedman.
About one-third of people aged 65 or older experience falls, and of these, about 20 percent to 25 percent experience severe injuries or limitations, according to Freedman.
Traditional health-insurance programs may address medical aspects of a disability, but they rarely fund home safety changes or assistive technologies that may help an older adult live independently.
The review is published in the current issue of the Milbank Quarterly.
