AGS issues fall prevention guidelines
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Interventions to prevent falls among the elderly should include an exercise component, according to new fall prevention guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatric Society.
Among other inventions, the new guidelines advise that doctors and caregivers work together to determine if an individual is at risk for falling. The caregiver can assess this by asking the elderly person if he or she has fallen recently or by observing if they are unsteady on their feet.If it has been determined that a patient is at risk for falls, the guidelines advise several prevention methods. These include: incorporating daily strength-building exercise or physical therapy; cataract surgery, if needed; medication reduction, if at all possible; and paying extra attention to raising low blood pressure and heart rhythm abnormalities. The guidelines were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.