Causes and Prevention of Accidents and Falls for the Elderly

In elderly individuals, some changes occur in organs and systems due to advancing age. These changes; It includes loss of vision, hearing and taste, and physiological regressions. All these regressions and losses increase the susceptibility to certain diseases and the risk of accidents. Falling, which is one of the most common accidents in the elderly, can be caused by both environmental and individual factors. Loss of balance-coordination, loss of vision, differences in the musculoskeletal system and non-ergonomic environmental conditions increase the risk of falling in elderly individuals. These falls may lead to the restriction of activities of daily living in the elderly, as well as a transition from an independent state to a dependent state and even death. In order to prevent this situation, first of all, risk factors should be determined in elderly individuals and individual and environmental assessments should be made. Some exercises and balance exercises can be done to support the musculoskeletal system in elderly individuals by making some arrangements to eliminate the risk factors determined later. Again, one of the measures that can be taken in order to prevent the risk of falling in elderly individuals is to organize the environment where the elderly live, especially the places they frequently use, according to the elderly individual.