A Study on Evaluation of Fall Risk Among Geriatric Patients At A Tertiary Care Public Teaching Hospital

Falls in older people are a major concern in terms of disability, institutionalization, mortality and socioeconomic burden and are considered as one of the “Geriatric Giants”. To evaluate fall risk among geriatric patients at a tertiary care public teaching hospital. This questionnaire based study utilized the “John Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool” to assess the risk of falls among geriatric patients. The tool is a prevalidated tool and consists of parameters like age, history of fall, elimination of bowl/urine, high fall risk medications, patient care equipments, cognition and mobility. Based upon the these parameters a well determined score was obtained and on the basis of scores obtained the patients were categorized into moderate fall risk (6-13 points) and high fall risk (>13 points). The data was obtained from patients reporting at the medicine department. Based on age, the patients were classified into three categories; elderly (60-69 yrs), middle aged old (70-79 yrs) and oldest old (≥80 yrs). The average age of the patients was found to be 68.3±0.4 years. The studied sample (260 patients) had a high frequency of moderate fall risk (65%) and high fall risk (18.5%). Only 9.2% patients have experienced a fall event before hospitalization. Based on the evaluated scores of JHFRA-tool, this study also confirms that the mobility functions, high fall risk drugs and cognitive functions are major contributing fall risk factors. A positive correlation between high fall risk drugs (HFRDs) and average fall risk score was observed. Antihypertensives, diuretics and laxatives were frequently dispensed HFRDs. In India falls are an emerging public health problem and a hurdle to active ageing. There is a strong need for coordinated and collaborative efforts of health professionals, researchers, policy makers and health care delivery systems to develop prevention strategies, to avoid economic burden and promote active ageing.