Falls in older persons

Falling is a common issue among older persons, with significant consequences in terms of personal suffering and social care costs. There is often a wide range of underlying and treatable problems present. For instance, a fall may serve as a red flag for an underlying disease with an atypical presentation. Guidelines recommend a multifactorial fall risk assessment for every older patient presenting with a fall. In this article, we provide tools for use in the emergency department and primary care settings to assess fall risk, explore potential treatment options, and establish referral criteria for secondary care.