Falls in Older People. Risk Factors, Strategies for Prevention and Implications for Practice

Part I. Epidemiology and risk factors for falls: 1. Epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries Stephen Lord, Catherine Sherrington and Cameron Hicks; 2. Postural stability and falls Jasmine Menant, Yoshiro Okubo and Hylton Menz; 3. Gait characteristics and falls Jasmine Menant, Hylton Menz and Carly Chaplin; 4. Sensory and neuromuscular risk factors for falls Stephen Lord; 5. Biomechanics of balance and falling Daina Sturnieks; 6. Foot problems, footwear and falls Hylton Menz; 7. Brain function and falls Michele Callisaya, Oshadi Jayakody and Kim Delbaere; 8. Impaired cognition and falls Morag Taylor and Julie Whitney; 9. The psychology of fall risk: fear, anxiety, depression and balance confidence Thomas Hadjistavropoulos and Kim Delbaere; 10. Medical risk factors for falls Naomi Noguchi and Vasi Naganathan; 11. Medications as risk factors for falls Lulu Ma and Vasi Naganathan; 12. Environmental risk factors for falls Alison Pighills and Lindy Clemson; 13. Fall detection and risk assessment with new technologies Kimberly van Schooten and Matthew Brodie; 14. Fall risk screening and assessment Anne Tiedemann and Stephen Lord; 15. The relative importance of fall risk factors - analysis and summary Stephen Lord, Catherine Sherrington and Vasi Naganathan; Part II. Strategies for prevention - Overview: Fall prevention: 16. Exercise to prevent falls Catherine Sherrington, Anne Tiedemann and Nicola Fairhall; 17. Volitional and Reactive Step Training Yoshiro Okubo and Daina Sturnieks; 18. Cognitive-motor interventions and their effects on fall-risk in older people Daniel Schoene and Daina Sturnieks; 19. Cognitive behavioural interventions for addressing fear of falling and fall risk Rixt Zilstra and Kim Delbaere; 20. The medical management of older people at risk of falls Mark Latt and Vasi Naganathan; 21. Fall prevention interventions for people with visual impairment Stephen Lord; 22. Footwear, othoses, walking aids, wearable technology and restraint devices for fall prevention Hylton Menz; 23. Environmental interventions to prevent falls at home and in the community Lindy Clemson and Alison Pighills; 24. Fall injury prevention: hip protectors and compliant flooring Susan Kurrle and Ian Cameron; 25. Multifactorial fall prevention strategies: Where to next? Sarah Lamb and Hopin Lee; 26. Fall prevention in hospitals Anne-Marie Hill; 27. Fall prevention in residential aged care facilities Clemens Becker, Kilian Papp and Patrick Roigk; Part III. Implications for Practice: 28. Strategies to promote uptake and adherence to fall prevention programs Anne Tiedemann, Leanne Hassett and Catherine Sherrington; 29. Translating fall prevention research into practice Kathryn Sibley, Alexandra Korall and Alexie Touchette; 30. Interventions reduce falls, but what is the cost for better health outcomes? Jennifer Davis, Teresa Liu-Ambrose and Chun-Liang Hsu; 31. Brining it altogether Stephen Lord, Catherine Sherrington and Vasi Naganathan.

This third edition of a trusted resource brings together the latest literature across multiple fields to facilitate the understanding and prevention of falls in older adults. Thoroughly revised by a multidisciplinary team of authors, it features a new three-part structure covering epidemiology and risk factors for falls, strategies for prevention and implications for practice. The book reviews and incorporates new research in an additional thirteen chapters covering the biomechanics of balance and falling, fall risk screening and assessment with new technologies, volitional and reactive step training, cognitive-motor interventions, fall injury prevention, promoting uptake and adherence to fall prevention programs and translating fall prevention research into practice. This edition is an invaluable update for clinicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, researchers, and all those working in community, hospital and residential or rehabilitation aged care settings.

Author Information

Stephen R. Lord is a Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales and Senior Principal Research Fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia. Catherine Sherrington is a Professor in the School of Public Health and Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District where she leads the Physical Activity, Ageing and Disability Research Stream. Vasi Naganathan is Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and a Consultant Geriatrician at Concord Hospital in Sydney. He is co-director of the Centre of Education and Research on Ageing (CERA).