Falls are a major source of death and disability in older adults; little data, however, are available about the etiology of falls in community-dwelling elders. Sensor systems installed in independent and assisted living residences of 105 older adults participating in an ongoing technology study were programmed to record live videos of probable fall events. Sixty-four fall video segments from 19 individuals were viewed and rated using the Falls Video Assessment Questionnaire. Raters identified that 56% (n=36) of falls were due to an incorrect shift of body weight and 27% (n=17) from losing support of an external object, such as an unlocked wheelchair or rolling walker. In 60% of falls, mobility aids were present in the room or in use at the time of the fall. Use of environmentally-embedded sensors provides a mechanism for real-time fall detection and, ultimately, may supply information to clinicians for fall prevention interventions.
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