November is Fall Prevention Month. This is something very important to us at The Medical Station. Each one of us at The Medical Station has experienced the impact of a fall, whether of a loved one or a patient – and as a result, our clinic understands the importance of fall prevention and management.
Fall Statistics in Canada
Seniors are at a greater risk of falls than the general population; in Canada, 1 in 3 seniors fall each year. In addition to the significant physical health implications of falls, there are often negative mental health outcomes such as fear, confusion, and depression, and social outcomes such as greater isolation and the loss of autonomy. The cost of addressing and caring for falls and fall-related injuries is over $6.2 billion a year in Canada alone. The risk factors for falls are complex and multifactorial – they include individual health status, biology, behaviour, socio-economic situation, and social support. Learn more about seniors’ falls from a recent Public Health Agency of Canada report. In many cases, falls in older adults are predictable and preventable. This is where The Medical Station comes in.
The Role of Care Providers
The physicians and clinic staff at The Medical Station are dedicated to working with you to help keep you healthy and active throughout life and as you age. A key part of this is developing and implementing fall prevention strategies. The family doctors at our clinic take seriously the importance of screening and applying preventative measures for those at risk of falls.
Fall Prevention at The Medical Station
Here are some of the fall prevention measures The Medical Station will be employing at our clinic:
- Explicitly discussing falls with high risk patients
- Conducting multifactorial falls risk assessments with senior patients
- Helping to determine appropriate assistive devices & protective equipment
- Discussing and monitoring medications that may be affecting risk of falls
- Developing individually tailored exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies
- Clinical disease management
- Coordinating appointments with our clinic's on-call Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists as needed
- Educating patients in personal behaviour and environment modifications that can be undertaken to reduce the risk of falls– check out some helpful tips