Falls in the Geriatric Patient.

Falls in older adults are multifaceted, and are caused by biologic, behavioral, environmental, and socioeconomic risk factors. An estimated 25% of older adults fall each year. With 10,000 people turning 65 each day, it is essential that those at highest risk receive intervention to decrease the risk and rate of falls. In addition, those older adults at lower risk still need to understand the risk of falls and be educated about maintaining healthy lifestyles. Fall risk assessment and referral to individualized or group-based programming can reduce fall risks and falls.

Trauma Center-Based Surveillance of Nontraffic Pedestrian Injury among California Children.

INTRODUCTION: Every year in the United States, thousands of young children are injured by passenger vehicles in driveways or parking areas. Little is known about risk factors, and incidence rates are difficult to estimate because ascertainment using police collision reports or media sources is incomplete. This study used surveillance at trauma centers to identify incidents and parent interviews to obtain detailed information on incidents, vehicles, and children. METHODS: Eight California trauma centers conducted surveillance of nontraffic pedestrian collision injury to children aged 14 years or younger from January 2005 to July 2007. Three of these centers conducted follow-up interviews with family members. RESULTS: Ninety-four injured children were identified. Nine children (10%) suffered fatal injury. Seventy children (74%) were 4 years old or younger. Family members of 21 victims from this study (23%) completed an interview. Of these 21 interviewed victims, 17 (81%) were male and 13 (62%) were 1 or 2 years old. In 13 cases (62%), the child was backed over, and the driver was the mother or father in 11 cases (52%). Fifteen cases (71%) involved a sport utility vehicle, pickup truck, or van. Most collisions occurred in a residential driveway. CONCLUSION: Trauma center surveillance can be used for case ascertainment and for collecting information on circumstances of nontraffic pedestrian injuries. Adoption of a specific external cause-of-injury code would allow passive surveillance of these injuries. Research is needed to understand the contributions of family, vehicular, and environmental characteristics and injury risk to inform prevention efforts.

Including fall prevention for older adults in your trauma injury prevention program--introducing Farewell to Falls.

With data showing that more than 50% of visits to our trauma center for older adults 65 years and older are due to falls, injury prevention programs in trauma centers should be paying more attention to the area of fall prevention for older adults. Farewell to Falls, a free, home-based program of Stanford Hospital and Clinic's trauma service, utilizes a multifaceted approach to help reduce falls. In addition to improving the lives of seniors, the program fulfills a community benefit goal and provides strong hospital marketing opportunities. This program is a benefit to hospitals and the older adults they serve.