A new $1 million grant could help researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine prevent falls in older adults admitted to the emergency department.
Thanks to the two-year grant provided by the Florida Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association, researchers will investigate several prevention strategies in older people at high risk for falls, including strategies that target limited resources to high-risk seniors.
The study will include senior patients admitted at Palm Beach Health Network’s Delray Medical Center. Participants will receive falls prevention supports, either before discharge with a follow-up call, or as a home visit after discharge. Investigators will then track the rate of recurrent falls requiring an emergency department visit and fall-related injury over a six-month period.
Richard Shih, M.D., principal investigator for the study, said emergency departments provide an ideal opportunity to target and maximize resources to reduce the risk of fall-related injuries.
“Importantly, older patients who have injured themselves after a fall and come to the emergency department have an even higher risk for recurrent falls and subsequent injuries,” Shih said in a statement. “Targeting older individuals and their caregivers in the emergency department could provide the most beneficial return when limited resources are available to enhance safety in these individuals.”
The researchers said Florida is the perfect location for the study because it has the highest percentage of geriatric patients in the U.S. who can provide vital data on the best strategies to prevent falls in a high-risk population.
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in people 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They account for more than 3 million injuries and 34,000 deaths annually and cost the insurance industry approximately $50 billion a year.
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This article originally appeared on McKnights Home Care
