October 20, 2012: World Osteoporosis Day - self-test for the risk of falls in old age

19.10.2012 12:51

Test your risk of falling! With the self-test for the risk of falls in old age, we would like to support you and your treating doctors in identifying an increased risk of falling in order to protect you from possible bone fractures.

About a third of people over 65 fall at least once a year. The rate continues to increase with age, reaching 40 to 50% in 80 to 89 year olds. Women fall more often than men. 60 to 70% of those who fell fall again within the following 12 months. One in five to ten falls by older people results in injuries, one in every 20 to 30 falls leads to a fracture, and around one in every hundred falls leads to a fracture near the hip joint with serious consequences. In studies, 3/4 of the patients were able to walk independently without aids before the fall-related fracture; after the fracture, only 15% were able to walk. In addition to the somatic consequences of a fall, up to 70% of older fallers report fear of further falls with a resulting loss of self-confidence, an increasing restriction of everyday activities and a resulting vicious circle with a further decline in locomotor skills and a decrease in the for mechanical stress necessary for bone formation.

The self-test for the risk of falls in old age was developed and scientifically tested in the Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Albertinen-Haus Hamburg (www.geriatrie-forschung.de). It was published in: “Be safe – see further, building blocks for your mobility”, Authority for Health and Consumer Protection of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

The self-test for the risk of falls in old age can be ordered for stamps worth 0.90 euros plus a return envelope stamped with 0.90 euros

Bone Health Board of Trustees

Keyword: “Self-test risk of falling”

Leipziger Str. 6

74889 Sinsheim