Fall assessment in older adult

Abstract

Falls are caused by many factors. For an individual, the cause may be a complex interaction between these factors. For this case, fall assessment is mandatory because the patient has hypovitaminosis D, stroke, arthritis, urinary incontinence, cognitive impairment, “dementia,” and osteoporosis. This patient in the past 12 months, he experienced tow falls. The fall assessment was done; it showed gait instability. As the patient complained of back pain, lumbar X-ray was positive for L4 compression fracture; however, his DEXA-scan showed osteoporosis. Osteoporosis magnetic resonance imaging was done to the patient: The result showed normal pressure hydrocephalus and vascular component. lumbar puncture (LP) was done, after the LP, his motor function improved, so the final diagnosis of normal-pressure hydrocephalus was reached. As a clinical guideline, when we face a case of fall, we should perform “a multifactorial falls risk assessment by taking the history, doing the physical examination, some test, and review the medications.”