Fall Risk Factors: Meet Dr. Hoover

Dr. Hoover is the founder of Hoover Medical and has been engaged in family medicine for 25 years. She discusses the importance of a fall prevention plan.

1. Why are falls such a big problem for older adults?

Falls in older adults are dangerous because they can lead to broken bones such as fractures of pelvis and limbs which will disable the elderly from being mobile. When an elderly person is not mobile, they are at higher risk for blood clots as well as pneumonia. Falls can also lead to head trauma, and since many elderly patients are on blood thinners, this can lead to bleeding in the brain which can be very serious.

2. What risk factors increase a person’s risk for falling?

Risk factors which increase a person’s risk for falls are unsteady gait, dementia and/or state of confusion, rugs, late night incontinence which leads to the patient getting up in the dark, lack of exercise, different floor elevations in home and new environment.

3. How do balance and strength exercises reduce the risk of falling?

Balance and gait exercises indicated by your physician allows you to strengthen your entire body and improve balance to prevent a fall from a very simple malrotation of your body.

4. What general fall prevention guidance do you typically offer your patients?

My fall prevention plan recommendations:

• • Become familiar with your environment. When changing an environment for yourself, parent/ grandparent or loved one, tour the area and make sure to properly recognize any steps, light switches, or obstacles.
  • Get rid of rugs in the home. If rugs are a must for the aesthetic of a room, make sure it is secured to the floor.
  • Use shoes with non-slippery soles.
  • Walk slow in unrecognized surroundings.
  • Do balance and strength exercises and stay active overall.

5. What information will my doctor need to create a fall prevention plan for me?

To create a proper fall prevention plan, doctors need: age, medical history (including surgeries, medications taken on a daily basis), mental status, a full assessment of areas of the body that suffer from chronic pain which can affect the gait of the patient, mental status, home dimensions and use of rugs, how far the bathroom is from the bed, whether the bathroom has a step into the shower or not, and the overall daily activity/exercise status of the patient.

Dr. Keila Hoover, MD
Family Medicine
Medical Director and CEO of Premium Healthcare