Created by the World Health Organisation, the World Falls Prevention Day is being held today, 24 June, with the aim of raising awareness of the risks associated with falls and the need for effective prevention strategies.
Every year, more than 684,000 people die as a result of a fall, and it is estimated that more than 172 thousand become temporarily or permanently disabled. Although falls can occur at any age, they are particularly worrying in older people over 65 and children under five years of ageIn the labour context, in 2017 there were 36,000 deaths due to falls, which accounted for almost 12% of all deaths from accidents at work.
In Portugal, between 2010 and 2018, the following were recorded 383,016 hospital admissions related to falls, representing 2.1% of the total. In healthcare settings, falls are the most reported patient safety incident, with an occurrence rate of between 2 to 8 per 1000 inpatient beds.
Prevention begins with risk assessment. Tools such as the "Timed Up and Go", combined with specific questionnaires on risk factors, can effectively identify people at risk of falling in just a few minutes.
With the increase in average life expectancy, there is an urgent need to address this issue strategically.
- Consult and download the our poster with recommendations for prevention.
- Also check out the statistics on falls that we share on our social networks: Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
