REDUCING THE RISK OF FALLS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS AND THE PREVENTION OF FALLS IN AN IN-PATIENT AND OUT-PATIENT SETTING

Abstract

The need to study the risks and the prevention of falls in elderly patients is obvious, since falls in the elderly are the leading cause of accident-related deaths and the seventh leading cause of death in people over 65 years of age. Falls threaten the autonomy of elderly people, limit their mobility, quality of life, and cause a number of individual and socio-economic consequences. The aim of the study: to investigate interventions aimed at reducing the risk of falls in elderly patients, along with ways to prevent falls in outpatient and in-patient settings. Study objectives: to investigate the specific aspects of falls in elderly patients as a medico-social problem in healthcare facilities and in the home; to identify the patterns and disorders that increase the risk of falls in elderly patients; to investigate the specific effects of drugs that increase the risk of falls in elderly patients; to investigate the living conditions and the hazards that increase the risk of falls in healthcare institutions, residential care facilities, and home in elderly population; to define the ways to prevent falls in elderly patients. The methods of study included the following: obtaining history and physical, medical examination and neurological assessment, clinical assessment, performance testing, laboratory tests, current health conditions, patient observation, data comparison and data analysis, instrumental and imaging tests; analytical method; statistical research methods. The scientific and practical value of the study. During this research study, the author investigated the specific aspects of falls in elderly patients as a medico-social problem in healthcare institutions and at home, detected the patterns and disorders that increase the risk of falls, studied the impact of drugs that increase the risk of falls in elderly, investigated the living conditions and the presence of hazards that contribute to increased risk of falls in healthcare institutions, in residential care facilities or in the home, and defined the ways to prevent falls among elderly.