There's a tendency to treat falls as an inevitable part of getting older — something that just happens eventually. But that framing is both inaccurate and costly. Most falls have identifiable, addressable causes. And most families who experience a serious fall say the same thing afterward: they wish they had paid more attention to the warning signs before it happened.
Why do older adult falls happen?
Falls rarely have a single cause. More often, they're the result of several factors converging at once.
- Medications: Certain medications, and combinations of medications, affect balance, coordination, and alertness. As the number of prescriptions grows, so does the risk. A regular medication review is one of the highest-impact fall prevention steps available.
- Vision and hearing: Changes in vision affect depth perception and the ability to see hazards clearly. Hearing loss affects spatial awareness in ways most people don't expect. Keeping vision and hearing checks current is a straightforward protective measure.
- The home environment: Loose rugs, poor lighting, cluttered pathways, a lack of grab bars in bathrooms. There are many factors within the home environment that play a significant role in fall risk. Many hazards are easy to address once identified.
- Balance and mobility: Strength and balance decline gradually, which makes the changes easy to dismiss. Regular movement, even modest amounts, helps maintain the physical capacity to recover from a stumble before it becomes a fall.
What does fall prevention actually looks like?
Prevention doesn't require a major overhaul. It usually starts with a few targeted assessments: a medication review, a home safety walkthrough, a conversation with a provider about balance and mobility. Together, these steps create a much clearer picture of where the real risks are.
Falls Prevention Awareness Week, observed September 21 through 25, is a useful prompt to have these conversations, but the need for them doesn't follow a calendar. If there has already been a fall, or if there are concerns about balance or safety at home, now is the right time to act.
After a fall
A fall that doesn't result in serious injury can still signal that something needs to change. The fear of falling again can lead to reduced activity, which leads to further decline in strength and balance — a cycle that's worth interrupting early. If a fall has already happened, a care manager can help assess the situation, identify contributing factors, and put a plan in place.
How Alder helps
Alder's care managers can conduct or coordinate a comprehensive fall risk assessment, identify hazards in the home, facilitate medication reviews, and connect families with the right specialists and resources. We look at the full picture, not just the fall itself, but everything that contributed to it.