Fall is one of the common geriatric syndromes
and is a major factor threatening the independence of
older individuals. Its prevalence has been increasing
in relation to increasing age(1-3). The estimated fall rate
is 0.3-1.6 per person annually. This rate doubles in
people aged over 75 years and the rates are higher in
nursing home residents(3,4). Among urban Thai elders,
about 24% in female and 12% in male reported having
at least one fall over the past 6 months(5). Fall frequently
results in a minor soft tissue injury and about 1 out of
10 results in a serious injury such as fracture, head
trauma and major laceration(6).Fracture occurs in 75%
of serious injury, hip fracture accounts for 1-2% of
falls(7). Consequences of falls can lead to poor quality
of life resulting from the disability and increased
mortality in the elderly, outcomes which increase with
age. Additionally, fall-related hospitalization leads to
substantial health care costs(8). A recent study has
reported that hospitalized elders with fall who were
aged 75 years or over had short-term mortality of 6%
and median hospital charges of S11,000 with predictive
factors which included cardiac disease, anemia, major
orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures, pneumonia,
and intubation(9