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An older adult’s brain’s ability to react to external stimuli and environmental occurrences can help him or her to avert a fall. Slow reaction time can mean a reduced capacity to avoid a fall.
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— Barbara Worthington, editor |
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For Geriatric Falls, Brain Speed May Matter More
Than Lower Limb Strength
“Why does a 30-year-old hit a foot against the curb in the parking lot and take a half step and recover, whereas a 71-year-old falls and an 82-year-old falls awkwardly and fractures a hip?” asks James Richardson, MD, a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Center.
For the last several years, Richardson and his team have attempted to answer these questions, seeking which specific factors determine whether and why an older person successfully recovers from a trip or stumble. The effort aims to help prevent the serious injuries, disability, and even death that too often follow accidental falls.
“Falls research has been sort of stuck with investigators remassaging more than 100 identified fall risk factors, many of which are repetitive and circular,” Richardson explains. “For example, a 2014 review lists the following three leading risk factors for falls: poor gait/balance, taking a large number of prescription medications, and having a history of a fall in the prior year.”
Richardson suggests, “If engineers were asked why a specific class of boat sank frequently and the answer came back, ‘poor flotation and navigational ability, history of sinking in the prior year, and the captain took drugs,’ we would fire the engineers. Our goal has been to develop an understanding of the specific discrete characteristics that are responsible for success after a trip or stumble while walking and to make those characteristics measurable in the clinic.”
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System-Level Strategies for a Value-Based
Medicare Annual Wellness Visit
The Affordable Care Act includes provisions to pay for an annual wellness visit, but studies show a disappointing number of patients take advantage of this opportunity. Read more »
Mobile Stroke Unit Brings CT Imaging to the Streets of Memphis
The state-of-the-art mobile stroke unit significantly reduces the time from diagnosis to treatment, improving the odds of preserving functionality. Read more »
Singing With People With Dementia
Music therapy, particularly group singing, has proven to be beneficial for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Read more » |
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Reflect on Aging at AiA17
By Heather Hogstrom
Chicago, known for deep-dish pizza and Millennium Park’s Cloud Gate (aka “the Bean”), will host the American Society on Aging’s (ASA) Aging in America (AiA) Conference from March 20–24. This multidisciplinary conference on aging offers educational and networking opportunities for professionals who work with or on behalf of older adults in the fields of aging, health care, and education.
The Exhibit Hall, which will be open from Tuesday evening to Thursday morning, showcases products and services for older adults, giving professionals in the field of aging the opportunity to find ones that will enable them to do their jobs better.
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Why Doctors Are Leery About Seeking Mental Health Care for Themselves
An article in The Washington Post provides insight into physicians’ reluctance to seek treatment for mental illness.
Keeping Lonely Seniors Company
Can Help Keep Them Healthy
According to an article at Kaiser News online, keeping elders company can help improve their health; lonely older adults are at greater risk of cognitive decline and cardiovascular events.
5 Regulations Give Rochester Area
Nursing Homes Most Problems
A Democrat & Chronicle analysis of Rochester, New York area nursing homes found most deficiency citations related to hiring, meeting resident needs, accident risk, drug labeling, and infection control.
When Stents Don't Work for Blocked Arteries, Targeted Radiation May Help
Targeted radiation may provide a solution to failed cardiac stents, according to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer. |
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