QEII ED physio Loren
QEII ED physio Loren will see a patient who has had a fall every day – so falls related research is a priority for this team.
Of those who visit ED after a fall, about 70 per cent will go home after being checked out, but approximately 30 per cent will need admission to further treat their injuries.
“Patients recover better at home, so it’s really important we look at frailty and potential falls in future, to try prevent these,” Loren said.
“The biggest risk factor for having a fall is having had a fall already, so we need to look at factors such as what causes the fall, not just treating the injury.
“We can assume that due a patient’s age they might be frailer than someone younger, but you could have a very fit 90-year-old who is not very frail, as frailty is about cognition, comorbidities and ability to look after oneself.”
Shoutout to Loren and the team for their work looking at frailty and in preventing repeat falls in patients.