Accidental falls among geriatric patients: can more be prevented?

The potential for accidental falls among geriatric patients is of mounting concern. Two hundred forty-one accidental falls over a 12-month period at the VA Medical Center were analyzed retrospectively and the literature reviewed in order to highlight factors that have bearing on the incidence and severity of falls. If a patient's potential for falling could be identified through a grading system based on these premonitory features, preventive measures might be more clearly focused where needed to reduce this frequent hazard in our hospital population.