AGING WELL WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY FACTSHEET SERIES
How To Prevent Falls
FACTSHEET
University of Washington
n
Box 356490
n
Seattle, WA 98195
toll-free 1-866-928-2114
n
http://agerrtc.washington.edu
n
agerrtc@uw.edu
O
lder adults with a physical disability
are at greater risk of falling than older
adults without a physical disability.
Falls typically occur while you’re doing
everyday activities such as walking, getting up
from a chair, or bending down. There are both
physical and emotional consequences from
falling.
Physical consequences may include:
■ Mild cuts and scrapes
■ Broken bones such as hip or femur
fractures
■ Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Accidental falls are the leading cause of
injury-related death in older adults.
The fear of falling is very powerful and you
may not even realize how this fear is limiting
your daily activities. Fear of falling can result
in:
■ Staying at home more and decreasing
outings to see your friends and family.
Limiting your social activities can put you
at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and
other mood disorders.
■ Spending more time sitting and being
inactive. Lack of physical activity leads to
further loss of muscle strength and, in turn,
will increase your risk of falling.
Injuries and fears caused by falling can
reduce your overall health, increase your
health care costs and reduce your ability to
take care of yourself and be independent.
What puts you at greater risk of
falling?
Some risks factors listed below are
preventable and others are not, but knowing
the factors can still help you assess your level
of risk.
■ If you live alone or have a small social
circle, you are at higher risk of falling
because you are less likely to have help
when you need it.
■ A history of falling, even if you have only
had one fall, will increase your risk of
falling again.
■ Muscle weakness caused by a physical
disability, such as multiple sclerosis
or post-polio syndrome, and/or due to
inactivity.
■ Poor balance, coordination, or walking
(gait) problems.
■ Poor vision.
■ Cognitive (thinking) problems that affect
your ability to focus and pay attention while
you’re walking.
■ Not using assistive devices or mobility aids
when and how you should. Tips or falls in
wheelchairs account for a lot of fall-related
injuries for wheelchair users.
■ Wearing poor or unsuitable footwear.
■ Some medications or the combination of
This factsheet may be reproduced and distributed freely with appropriate attribution. Page 2
Promoting Healthy Aging for Everyone
multiple medications can have side effects
such as fatigue or dizziness that may
increase your risk of falling.
■ Poor diet or not drinking enough uids
(water).
■ Alcohol use.
Your physical environment also affects
your risk of falling.
■ If handrails on stairs or grab bars are
missing or not properly/securely installed.
■ Poor stair design or stairs in disrepair such
as small stair width, uneven stairs or stairs
of different heights.
■ Dim lighting may reduce your ability to see
obstacles or tripping hazards.
■ Obstacles or tripping hazards such as
power cords, throw rugs that move, or
even your pet cats or dogs that are always
underfoot.
■ Slippery or uneven surfaces.
What can you do to prevent falls?
Exercise to improve your strength and
balance
Exercise is the single most effective way to
prevent falls.
■ Try a strength training program to increase
your muscle and core strength.
■ In addition to strength training, other
exercises can help you improve your
balance and coordination, such as
swimming, yoga, Tai Chi or exercises using
exercise balls or BOSU balls (half-dome
exercise balls).
♦ See our factsheet on Exercise to learn
more about the benets of exercise.
■ A trained physical therapist can help you
improve your balance, strength, and gait
through exercise. They might also suggest
an assistive device or change of devices—
and provide guidance on how to use these
aids.
♦ Poorly t devices can increase the risk
of falling.
■ Enroll in a fall prevention program. Several
of these are available nationwide and
are often at your local community center,
hospitals, Senior Center, or YMCA.
♦ National Council on Aging’s (NCOA)
Center for Healthy Aging has a list of
Community Programs (see Resources
on last page).
Improve your safety at home
Use a falls prevention check-list around your
house to improve its safety:
■ CDC’s Check for Safety: A Home
Fall Prevention Checklist for
Older Adults: http://www.cdc.gov/
HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/
CheckListForSafety.html
■ Occupational therapists can work with
you or your family to look at your home for
hazards and evaluate you for limitations
that contribute to falls. Recommendations
often include:
♦ Improving physical abilities to safely
perform daily tasks.
♦ Changing daily activities.
♦ Modifying your home.
■ Simple home modications that can help
prevent falls include:
♦ Adding grab bars next to the toilet or
inside the bathtub.
♦ Adding handrails for stairs or walkways.
This factsheet may be reproduced and distributed freely with appropriate attribution. Page 3
AGING WELL WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY FACTSHEET SERIES
♦ Using contrasting colors to make it easy
to see stairs and walls.
Out and about safety – things you can
do while when you are on-the-go
■ Consider your energy level and plan for
fatigue.
■ Know your limits and look for signs of
fatigue such as catching your foot as you
walk so you know when you need to stop
and rest.
■ If you are an occasional user of assistive
devices, bring your devices with you and
have them ready. If you’re an occasional
user of a wheelchair, make sure you have
it on hand for longer days when fatigue
may become a problem.
■ Use footwear that is suitable for the
weather and conditions.
■ Sometimes the safest route is not always
the fastest route. Play it safe and avoid
steep hills, cracked sidewalks, and uneven
surfaces.
■ Pay attention of the surface and obstacles
in front of you when you are walking so
you have more time to react.
■ Stop walking or rolling when you’re using
your mobile or smart phone.
Talk to your health care provider to
prevent falls
■ If you fall and are injured, seek medical
attention right away (call 9-11 or go to
the emergency room).
■ If you do fall, be sure to see your doctor
afterwards even if you don’t think that
you’re injured.
■ Get your vision and hearing checked every
year.
■ Talk to your health care provider if you
believe you’re at risk, or you’re afraid of
falling.
■ Talk with your primary care provider about
your medications. Ask about side effects
and interactions.
■ Keeping a medication list to manage your
medications may be helpful.
♦ http://assets.aarp.org/external_sites/
caregiving/resources/pdfs/personal_
medication_record.pdf
♦ http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/
community-education/why-managing-
your-medicine.html
Support from your family and friends
As you age with a disability, your care
assistance needs will grow and change
as well. Get your family, friends, and other
caregivers involved in fall prevention.
Make sure the people helping you have the
knowledge, training, and support they need.
Some caregiver resources include:
♦ http://www.caregiveraction.org/
♦ http://www.aarp.org/home-family/
caregiving/
Resources
NCOA’s Center for Healthy Aging’s Links to
Community Programs - http://www.ncoa.org/
improve-health/center-for-healthy-aging/falls-
prevention/community-programs.html
CDC’s Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention
Checklist for Older Adults - http://www.cdc.
gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/
CheckListForSafety.html
The Good News About Fall Prevention, produced
AGING WELL WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY FACTSHEET SERIES
This factsheet was developed under National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehaiblitation Research (NIDILRR) grants
(H133B080024 and H133B130018). However, contents do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, and you should not assume endorse-
ment by the Federal Government.
© Copyright 2015. University of Washington, Healthy Aging RRTC. All Rights Reserved.
in 2008 by nursing students at Seattle Pacic
University featuring Dr. Elizabeth Phelan - http://
spu.edu/depts/health-sciences/undergrad/videos/
fall-prevention/
Homemods.org is a University-based, non-prot
with resources for Home Modication - http://
www.homemods.org/
Fall prevention information and resources
provided by the University of Washington - http://
depts.washington.edu/nofalls/UW_Falls_
Prevention/Welcome.html
References
Gillespie LD, Robertson MC, Gillespie WJ, Sherrington
C, Gates S, Clemson LM, Lamb SE. Interventions for
preventing falls in older people living in the community.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Sep 12;9.
Matsuda PN, Shumway-Cook A, Bamer AM, Johnson
SL, Amtmann D, Kraft GH. Falls in multiple sclerosis.
PM R. 2011 Jul;3(7):624-32.
Peterson EW, Ben Ari E, Asano M, Finlayson ML. Fall
Attributions Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults
With Multiple Sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012
Nov 28.
Authorship: How to Prevent Falls was devel-
oped by Aimee Verrall, MPH, and published
by the University of Washington Aging RRTC.
Content is based on research evidence and/or
professional consensus.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to
replace the advice from a medical professional.
You should consult your health care provider
regarding specic medical concerns or treatment.
Suggested attribution: University of
Washington. (2015). How to Prevent Falls
[Factsheet]. Aging and Physical Disability
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center.
http://agerrtc.washington.edu
