Falls and their prevention in elderly people: What does the evidence show?

Falls are a common and complex geriatric syndrome that cause considerable mortality, morbidity, reduced functioning, and premature nursing home admissions. Falls have multiple precipitating causes and predisposing risk factors, which make their diagnosis, treatment, and particularly, prevention, a difficult clinical challenge. Nonetheless, much can be done to reduce the risk for falls and to improve the quality of life for fall-prone individuals. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology of falls, their major causes and risk factors, the types of available fall-prevention interventions, and the evidence on the efficacy of these interventions.