'Elderly Should Be More Aware Of Fall Risks'

Researchers at Chinese University have warned that many elderly people are at risk of repeatedly suffering falls and bone fractures, and this could add to the burden on the public healthcare system.

The researchers found that 30 percent of 240 elderly people who took part in a study they carried out had suffered a fall more than once in the previous year.

Professor Timothy Kwok, who led the study, said elderly people are more prone to falling because brain degeneration, muscle and joint weakness and visual problems all add up to impair their ability to balance.

“Some lose confidence in self-care and stop going out, and so it is a major effect on quality of life,” he told RTHK’s Wendy Wong.

Kwok added that some elderly people with fragile bones due to the medical condition osteoporosis are likely to suffer fractures, and hip fractures are the most disabling.

“We need the hip to uphold the whole body, so if you have a fracture at the hip, you would have a major problem in walking,” he explained.

“In our clinical experience, a significant proportion of them would die after a hip fracture within one year. For the majority that survived, ninety percent of them required a walking aid or were even immobile,” he added.

This is a big burden for public healthcare, Kwok said, as Hospital Authority figures show there are more than 7,000 hip fracture cases in Hong Kong every year, and each patient stays in hospital for about a month.

Kwok said he hopes to raise awareness about the problem, adding that a bone density scan is widely available and there are effective treatments as well.

He said people found to suffer from osteoporosis can take part in exercise classes to strengthen their muscles and improve balance, or they can learn to do balancing exercises while going about their daily routine, such as when they wash dishes or take a shower.