Posted by 
Images When seniors who are at risk of falling have a prevention plan, they’re less likely to suffer a tumble-related hospitalization, the study found. According to Yvonne Johnston, an associate professor at the Binghamton University School of Nursing in New York, significant change that reduced fall risk in people at risk of falls to almost the same as those who weren’t at risk of a fall.
The study looked at a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fall prevention initiative. It included screening to identify older people who are at risk of falling. This assessment looked at vision problems, low blood pressure, medications, home hazards and functional ability such as leg strength.
The initiative also included interventions such as a strength and balance program, medication changes, corrective eyewear and occupational therapy. For the study, researchers divided more than 12,000 older adults into three fall-risk groups.
One group was at-risk and received the “Fall Plan of Care” intervention; another group was determined to be at-risk but received no formal plan; and the final group wasn’t at risk of falling. The study found that at-risk adults who received the intervention had similar odds for falling as adults who weren’t at risk of a fall, and 40 percent lower odds than those at risk without a fall prevention plan.