Session Information
Session Time: None. Available on demand.
Disclosures: Leili Shahgholi, MD: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Case Diagnosis: Etiology of Falls Based on Location: Community, Hospital, Acute Rehabilitation Facility, Subacute and Long-Term Facility; A Case series of 30 patients
Case Description: Falls in older adults are the third leading cause of chronic disability. Falls have a significant impact on older individual’s short and long term life. Falls decrease quality of life, increase hospital and nursing home admissions, and increase healthcare costs. Despite common misconception, falls are not an inevitable part of aging and many of them can be prevented. Fall rate in people aged 65 or older is approximately 40%. The incidence of falls increases to 50% in people aged 75 or older. Falls occur more frequently when people are in nursing homes and are the number one cause of trauma-related hospitalizations in persons aged 65 and older. Even when fall doesn’t cause major physical injury, fear of falling can lead to reduced mobility, frailty, and ultimately avoidance of daily activity. We report a case series of 30 patients with different reasons for fall between 2018 to 2020.Assessment/
Results: The patients’ mean age was 72 ±18 years, 18 female (56%) and 12 male (44%). Falls were categorized based on location of fall and cause of fall (medical condition, medication-related, mechanical, or environmental). Results for Community: 8 medical-condition, 4 medication-related, 2 mechanical. Hospital: 2 medical conditions, 2 environmental. Acute rehabilitation facility: 3 mechanical, 4 medical-condition. Long term facility: 5 medical-condition.
Discussion: The data is notable for certain trend differences between the settings. Compared to healthcare settings, in the community ambulatory mechanical falls occur more frequently. Falls in acute rehabilitation are largely mechanical as well but the vast majority occur during transfers. Falls in nursing homes are frequently secondary to preventable medical conditions.
Setting: Hospital and nursing home
Conclusion: This data can provide facility specific aims to focus on strategies to reduce falls.
Level of Evidence: Level IV
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Shahgholi L, Ghanbari G, Benjamin B. Etiology of Falls Based on Location: Community, Hospital, Acute Rehabilitation Facility, Subacute and Long-term Facility; A Case Series of 30 Patients [abstract]. PM R. 2021; 13(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/etiology-of-falls-based-on-location-community-hospital-acute-rehabilitation-facility-subacute-and-long-term-facility-a-case-series-of-30-patients/. Accessed June 9, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2021
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/etiology-of-falls-based-on-location-community-hospital-acute-rehabilitation-facility-subacute-and-long-term-facility-a-case-series-of-30-patients/