Compliance with CDC Fall Prevention Recommendations: A Survey of Older Adults with a Recent Fall

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related visits to emergency departments in the United States and the primary etiology of accidental deaths in persons over the age of 65 years. Despite the consequences and the preventability of falls, there are no known data that have shown compliance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations among adults 65 years and older who have fallen. An IRB approved cross sectional survey was conducted at Wesley Medical Center to evaluate which CDC fall prevention guidelines have been followed in older adults who suffered a recent fall and whether or not with proper education, future falls can be prevented. Results revealed that patients were not adequately educated on fall prevention strategies.