Falls are a serious matter for older adults. Even if there are no injuries, it’s a warning sign of underlying issues that are likely to cause future falls and serious injury. To help you be proactive and improve the situation, Dr. Leslie Kernisan shares 8 things that doctors must check after an older adult experiences a fall.
If you want to prevent dangerous falls in an aging adult, here’s one of the very best things you can do: be proactive about getting the right kind of medical assessment after a fall.
Why? There are three major reasons for this:
- A fall can be a sign of a new and serious medical problem that needs treatment. For instance, an older person can be weakened and fall because of illnesses such as dehydration, or a serious urinary tract infection.
- Older adults who have fallen are at higher risk for a future fall. Although it’s a good idea for any older person to be proactive about identifying and reducing fall risk factors, it’s vital to do this well after a fall.
- Busy doctors may not be thorough unless caregivers are proactive about asking questions. Most doctors have the best intentions, but studies have shown that older patients often don’t get recommended care. By being politely proactive, you can make sure that certain things aren’t overlooked (such as medications that worsen balance).
All too often, a medical visit after a fall is mainly about addressing any injuries that the older person may have suffered.
Obviously, this is very important! However, if you want to help prevent future falls, it’s also important to make sure the doctors have checked on all the things that could have contributed to the fall.
Even if you’re pretty sure your loved one just tripped and stumbled, a good evaluation can uncover issues that made those trips and stumbles more likely.
In this post, I’ll list eight key items that you can make sure the doctors check on, after a fall.
This will help you make sure your loved one has had a thorough work-up, and can reduce the chance of future serious falls.
8 things the doctors should check after a fall
1. An assessment for underlying new illness
Doctors almost always do this if an older person has been having generalized weakness, delirium, or other signs of feeling unwell.
Be sure to bring up any symptoms you’ve noticed, and let the doctor know how quickly the changes came on.
Just about any new health problem that makes an older person weak can bring on a fall. Some common ones include:
- Urinary tract infection
- Dehydration
- Anemia (low red blood cell count), which can be brought on by bleeding in the bowel or by other causes
- Pneumonia
- Heart problems such as atrial fibrillation
- Strokes, including mini-strokes that don’t cause weakness on one side
2. A blood pressure and pulse reading when sitting, and when standing
This is especially important if you’ve been worried about falls – or near falls – that are associated with light-headedness, or fainting.
If your older loved takes blood pressure medication, you should make sure the doctor confirms that he or she isn’t experiencing a drop in blood pressure with standing.
(Note that tamsulosin – brand name Flomax – is a popular prostate medication that also causes drops in blood pressure.)
A 2009 study of Medicare patients coming to the emergency room after fainting found that checking sitting and standing blood pressure was the most useful test. However, it was only done by doctors 1/3 of the time.
3. Blood tests
Checking an older person’s blood tests is often a good idea after a fall.
Falls can be worsened by problems with an older person’s blood count, or by things like blood sodium getting too high or too low.
Generally, a complete blood cell count (CBC) and a check of electrolytes and kidney function (metabolic panel, or “chem-7″) are a good place to start.
Be sure to ask to the doctor to explain any abnormalities found in the blood work, whether they might be related to falls, and how the doctor plans to address them.
If your loved one has diabetes and takes insulin or other medications to lower blood sugar, be sure to bring in the glucometer or a blood sugar log.
Episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) are an important risk factor for falls, but a laboratory blood test generally doesn’t show moments of low blood sugar.
Many older adults are taking medications that increase fall risk. These medications can often be reduced, or even eliminated.
Be sure to ask the doctor to address the following types of medications:
- Any sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medications. Common examples include zolpidem (Ambien) for sleep, or lorazepam (Ativan) for anxiety. Antipsychotic medications for restless dementia behaviors, such as risperidone or quetiapine, can also increase sedation and fall risk.
- Blood pressure and diabetes medications. As noted above, it’s not unusual for older adults to be “over-treated” for these conditions, meaning they are taking a level of medication that causes the blood pressure (or blood sugar) be lower than is really necessary for ideal health.
- “Anticholinergic” medications. These medications are commonly taken by older adults, who often have no idea that these medications worsen balance and thinking! They include medications for allergies, overactive bladder, vertigo, nausea, and certain types of antidepressants which may also be given for nerve pain. For a good list of anticholinergics to try to avoid, click here.
- Opiate pain medications, especially if they are new.
5. Gait and balance
At a minimum, a gait assessment means that the doctor carefully watches the way the older person is walking. There are also some simple ways to check balance.
Simple things to do, if gait and balance don’t seem completely fine, are:
- Address any pain or discomfort, if that seems to be a cause of problems. Many older people are reacting to pain in their feet, joints, or back.
- Consider a physical therapy referral for gait and balance assessment. A physical therapist can often recommend suitable strengthening exercises, and also can help fit the older person for an assistive device (e.g. a walker) if appropriate.
6. Vitamin D level
Studies suggest that treating low vitamin D levels (e.g. less than 20ng/mL) might help reduce falls in older adults. Low vitamin D levels can also contribute to fragile bones.
If your loved one spends a lot of time indoors, doesn’t take vitamin D supplements, and hasn’t been checked for low vitamin D, you should ask the doctor to consider this test.
Note: I generally recommend my patients take 800-1000IU of Vitamin D per day, unless we have documented a severe deficiency that would warrant temporary high-dose treatment. I don’t recommend people take high doses of Vitamin D (e.g. 2000 IU or more) without medical supervision.
7. Evaluation for underlying heart conditions or neurological conditions
These chronic conditions are different from the “acute” types of illnesses that we usually look for right after a fall.
In a minority of cases, an older person may be falling because he or she has developed a chronic problem with the heart or blood pressure system. An example of this would be paroxysmal rapid atrial fibrillation, which causes the heart to sometimes race.
It’s also possible for older people to develop a new chronic neurological condition, such as Parkinson’s disease.
If you’re worried about these possibilities, ask the doctor “Do you think a heart condition might have caused this fall? Or do you think an underlying neurological condition could have caused this fall?”
It’s particularly useful for you to ask about these kinds of problems if the falls or near-falls keep happening, especially if you’ve already minimized risky medications and over-treatment of high blood pressure.
8. Vision, podiatry, and home safety referrals
Could your loved one be in need of a vision check, podiatry care, or a home safety evaluation?
If you’ve brought an older person in after a fall, it’s a good idea to talk to the doctor about whether these services might help.
I especially recommend home safety evaluations, if they are available in your area. Vision checks are also an excellent idea if the older person hasn’t had one recently.
How to use this information
Overwhelmed by this list? Here are some ideas for you:
- Print out this post and bring it along next time you take an older person to see the doctor after a fall. If the doctor overlooks certain points, don’t be shy about asking why.
- Post your questions or comments below. I’d love to know more about how this list can help you make sure your loved one gets the right care after a fall.
Guest contributor: Leslie Kernisan, MD, is a practicing board-certified geriatrician, a Clinical Instructor in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics, and the founder of the popular aging health website Better Health While Aging. She believes that it shouldn’t be so hard for older adults and families to get the right kind of help with health concerns. She is the author of the book “When Your Aging Parent Needs Help,” has been featured in The New York Times and Next Avenue, and provides guidance to families through her Helping Older Parents online courses and programs.
Recommended for you:
- 4 Steps That Help Seniors Regain Confidence After a Fall
- 10 Simple Fall Prevention Exercises Seniors Can Do at Home [Video]
- 10 Medications That Cause Falls in Seniors: Use with Caution
Image: Carolyn Andersson MD
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