Transcript BBFP Nursing Program Presentation

Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine of Ohio
and
Better Balance and Fall Prevention of Cleveland
Present
Falls are Preventable!
Our program offers a fast, safe, reliable and accurate
method of assessing falls risk with proper and proven
diagnostics and cost-effective therapeutic modalities.
“An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”
Benjamin Franklin
Many falls happen due to balance disorders.
Most of those who have a balance disorder problem
are totally unaware of it.
Aging and Balance Complaints
 Common Symptoms include:
 Falling
 Dizziness
 Vertigo
 Disequilibrium
 Postural instability
 Loss of balance
 “Faintness” or shortness of
breath
•Balance Statistics
 40% of the population will fall during their lifetime – this risk
increases with age.
 60% of closed head trauma patients report dizziness.
 20% of the population have a unilateral vestibular loss.
 50% of all adults 65+ have a vestibular problem.
 40% of adults 65+ will experience a fall annually.
 50% of first time fallers will have repeated falls.
Balance Statistics– cont’d
 Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths
among seniors.
 Dizziness and loss of balance are within the top three
most common reasons for physician visits by the
elderly.
 Falls are the NUMBER ONE reason for skilled nursing
facility admissions for ages 65 and older.
 Falls are the leading cause for both fatal and non-fatal
injuries in the elderly.
 Falls are the most common cause of death in the
elderly over age 75.
Balance Statistics – cont’d
 There are more than 350,000 hip fractures annually in
the United States. Costs are estimated at $20 billion.
 The American Geriatric Society recommends all
individuals 55 and older should be screened for
balance problems.
 Everyone experiences a 5% loss of balance every
decade beginning at the age of 20
 That means by age 60 we experience a 25% loss in
balance
 An inactive or sedentary lifestyle may cause lower
extremity deconditioning further accelerating balance
loss
How do we maintain our balance?
Visual cues from our
eyes
Positioning cues from the
inner ear to maintain
equilibrium
Proprioception cues from
our feet, knees and hips
Using our Vision
 Eyes automatically look for
edges like ceiling, floor, walls,
corners
 Our eyes help us orient
ourselves
 AT NIGHT ALWAYS TURN
THE LIGHTS ON IF GETTING
UP!
Inner Ear
Using our Feet
 The foot is the only part of the body
to contact the floor
 Proprioceptive sensors in the foot
send information to the brain
 This information travels through
other joints in the lower body
(ankles, knees, hips, spine, etc)
 An injury or deconditioning to any of
these areas can cause a delay in
balance information processing
Finding Out If You Are At Risk For A Fall
 Every person age 65 and over
should be evaluated for risk of
falling at least once per year.
 A balance evaluator platform is
used for a fast, accurate
evaluation, taking five minutes
to complete.
 The test accurately identifies
the probability of a balance
disorder .
Questionnaire
 Any person testing outside their normative range on the
balance platform completes a questionnaire to eliminate
any complicating factors including, in part:
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Medications
Last eye exam
Last hearing exam
Any falls history (including frequency)
Any joint replacement surgery
Diabetic neuropathy conditions
In addition to other factors
VNG Diagnostics
 For those individuals in which a balance problem was detected
while performing the balance platform test, the
Videonystagmography (VNG) test is the next step in the
diagnosis of your balance disorder.
 Videonystagmography (VNG) Testing is the gold standard
test for vestibular pathology and is reimbursed by all major
insurance carriers and Medicare.
 VNG tests will accurately diagnose at-risk individuals by
determining the presence of either a peripheral (inner ear &
balance nerve) or central (brain & spinal cord) vestibular
disorder.
VNG Technology: A series of 18 tests
Patients WEAR goggles FOR A Computer generated report
THE TESTS
IS PRODUCED
Vestibular Rehab Therapy (VRT)
VRT exercises
 The vast majority of patients identified as high falls risk will
likely require therapy to treat abnormal gait and balance
disorders.
 Patients perform various simple exercises designed to increase
mobility and steadiness, thereby reducing their risk of falling.
 VRT is highly successful in the treatment of many balance
problems
Improved Quality of Life
 Patients gain new
confidence and much
improved quality of life
after completing therapy.
 Greatly reduces their risk
of falling.
 Patients become more
active and happy with
much less fear of falling.
Each week, more than 30,000 Americans over the age of 65 are seriously
injured by falling, and nearly 250 die from their injuries, according to the
NSC. Of those who do survive falling, 20-30 percent experience
debilitating injuries that affect them the rest of their lives.
A fall can totally change a person’s life. A fall is a life changing health
event. When there is a fear of falling, people begin to do things differently.
They walk differently, watch differently, and worst of all they begin to
limit their activities. These lifestyle changes create a downward spiral,
increasing the risk of falls.
Quality of life is lost. A fall may require an individual to reside in an
assisted living or nursing home facility as their disability has cost them the
ability to take care of themselves. The individual who has suffered a fall is
not the only victim. Spouses and family members are burdened physically,
emotionally, and financially.
The best treatment is prevention before a life altering event takes place. As
many falls are preventable, now is the time to have your balance assessed
and any necessary steps taken in the prevention of you or a loved one from
falling.
Thank you for taking the time to learn how we can
assist you or someone you know that is experiencing
a problem with balance.
You will find our offices to be friendly with the
focus on the patient’s successful treatment and
recovery.
 We have 3 convenient locations in the Cleveland area
 For more information or to make an appointment
contact us at (216) 476-1700. Call before you fall!