One in eight older people in Ireland require medical attention for a fall each year

New findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) reveal that falls are a serious and escalating challenge for Ireland’s healthcare system. Although tens of thousands of older adults receive medical treatment each year after a fall, services remain insufficient.

Ireland has the fastest ageing population in the EU, and falls are already the most common reason for older people to be admitted to hospital, meaning the number of falls will rise substantially in the coming decades. Most are preventable through medication review, cardiovascular assessment, and strength and balance exercises.

The research, titled The DEFINED Study: Determining the burden of falls amongst community-dwelling older people in Ireland to inform falls care delivery, was published in the international journal BMJ Open.

Falls are the leading cause of fractures and significantly contribute to reduced mobility and loss of independence. Without effective prevention after an initial fall, individuals are at high risk of falling again. Despite the scale of the issue, the study identified major gaps in prevention efforts and in access to specialist falls services.

Key findings include:

• One in eight older people required medical attention for a fall in a 12-month period.
• One in six attended an emergency department because of a fall.
• Over half of older people presenting to the emergency department with a fall were prescribed medications proven to increase the risk of falls, such as drugs that affect balance, alertness, or blood pressure.
• Over one in five older people who required medical attention for a fall have no access to a falls assessment clinic.

Lead author of the study, Dr Robert Briggs, Consultant Geriatrician at St James’s Hospital and TILDA investigator, said: “Falls are often viewed as inevitable, but many are preventable. Our findings show that large numbers of older people are falling, presenting to emergency departments, and in many cases, taking medications that further increase their falls risk. At the same time, only a small number can access specialist falls services.”

The authors note that Ireland currently has no national falls prevention strategy, despite strong international evidence that coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches can significantly reduce falls, fractures, and pressure on emergency departments. They argue that improving access to dedicated falls clinics, systematically reviewing falls-risk-increasing medications, and investing in prevention programmes should be central to planning services for an ageing population.

Prof Rose Anne Kenny, Head of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin and Principal Investigator of TILDA, added: “Falls can be prevented, and yet, poor prevention and treatment approach for falls is concerning.

“However, as health services are being reorganised regionally, we have an opportunity to address this escalating problem for all. This will reduce avoidable injury, hospital admissions, and loss of independence in the majority.”

Authors