Risk factors and intervention strategies for preventing falls & brain injury in older adults

By Conor Gormally. This article was initially published in our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.

An excellent article from Elizabeth Sandel, MD, explores the relationship between falls and TBI in older adults and lays out interventions for a variety of common risk factors. Dr. Sandel is a Brain Injury Medicine subspecialty-certified Physiatrist and leading expert on Brain Injury; she is also a member of the Concussion Alliance leadership team. 

Sandel points out that “Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the U.S.,” with older adults having the highest risk of falling. “Falls lead to nearly half of the TBI-related hospitalizations and account for the majority of TBI-related deaths in adults 65 years of age and older.“ Additionally, this population is more likely to have other health or medical factors that may complicate their injury and recovery process.

In addition, some findings indicate that “even mild TBIs may worsen cognitive decline, including earlier onset of dementia, in the years following the injury.” As elderly patients have “different physiological and psychological needs,” Sandel outlines several specific factors that can increase elderly adults’ likelihood of falls, as well as interventions to help mitigate their impact. The factors discussed include: “Mobility problems (related to gait, balance, strength, flexibility, endurance, pain),” medications, bladder/bowel function and nutrition, vision and hearing, mood disorders, and environment.