Successes and setbacks of the falls consultation - Report on the first 150patients

Objective: We report the results of a Falls Consultation. Design: Data concerning the first 150 patients are reported. Each patient w as assessed by a geriatrician, a neurologist, and a physiatrist, who visite d him or her at home, and was reassessed by the same geriatrician 6 mo late r. Results: Of the 150 patients, 135 patients completed the initial evaluation . Most of them were frequent fallers. The population was very heterogeneous regarding the health status and the degree of disability. In most cases, f alls were the result of several interacting factors. The most frequent reco mmendations from the staff were physical therapy, environmental changes, an d medication changes. Over the following 6 mo, approximately one out of fou r patients had experienced new falls. However, the risk of falling was sign ificantly reduced (5.3 +/- 7.3 falls in 6 mo before vs. 0.8 +/- 1.6 falls i n 6 mo after the intervention). The Activities of Daily Living score was a predictor of recurrent falls, hospitalization, and institutionalization. Conclusion: Our results show that a multidisciplinary falls consultation ca n be efficient in reducing the risk of falls in nonselected elderly fallers but suggest that differential strategies are needed to manage adequately t he more vigorous and the frail old person as well.