Fall Prevention in Older Adults: Risk Assessment and Interprofessional Management
Target Audience: Pharmacist, Pharmacy Tech, Physician Assistant, Physician
Course Overview
Falls remain a leading cause of injury, functional decline, hospitalization, and death in older adults, with risk influenced by prior falls, gait and balance impairment, chronic disease burden, vision problems, orthostatic symptoms, medication exposure, and environmental hazards. This activity reviews the epidemiology and clinical burden of falls. It discusses recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidance from these entities varies, but they review targeted interventions for older adults in community-dwelling settings and provide specific recommendations. Interventions may include medication management, vision screenings, referrals to fall-prevention programs, and exercise regimens. Distinctions between community-dwelling older adults and care-facility populations are highlighted throughout, with attention to the complementary roles of healthcare team members in implementing evidence-based fall-prevention strategies.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe the epidemiology and clinical burden of falls in older adults across community and residential care settings
- Identify older adults at an increased risk for falls using evidence-based screening and assessment strategies
- Evaluate modifiable risk factors for falls, including medication, environmental, and comorbidity-related contributors
- Develop individualized, interprofessional fall prevention plans that incorporate interprofessional collaboration
Faculty
- Introduction
- Epidemiology and Burden of Falls in Older Adults
- Risk Factors for Falls
- Age
- Physical Limitations
- Visual Impairment
- Environmental Hazards
- Cognitive Impairment
- Medication-related Fall Risk
- Community-Dwelling Versus Care-Facility Populations
- Screening and Assessment in Clinical Practice
- STEADI and STEADI-Rx
- The AGS 2025 Guidelines
- Components of Multifactorial Assessment
- Linking Fall Risk Assessment to Targeted Interventions
- Interventions
- Home Safety and Environmental Modification
- Exercise
- Medication Review and Deprescribing
- Vitamin D
- Vision Assessment and Correction
- Orthostatic Hypotension
- Assistive Devices and Mobility Supports
- Education and Behavioral Interventions
- Clinical Approach for the Healthcare Team
- Community-Dwelling Older Adults Versus Care Facilities
- Community-dwelling older adults
- Care Facilities
- Case Study Example
- Interprofessional Collaboration
- Summary
From May 18, 2026 through May 18, 2029, participants must:
- Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
- Study the section entitled "educational activity"
- Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.
Faculty Planner Disclosure
The following individuals were involved in planning, developing, and/or authoring this activity: L. Austin Fredrickson, MD, FACP; Kristina (Tia) Neu, RN; Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS; and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. None of the individuals involved in developing this activity has a conflict of interest or financial relationships related to the subject matter. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The information provided in this course is general in nature, and it is designed solely to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant's professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals must consult their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization for guidelines, protocols, and procedures to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures, but is for academic purposes only, and this course's limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses is constantly changing. Any person taking this course understands that such a person must make an independent review of medication information before any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only, and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course or course material.
Please ensure the device you plan to use meets these requirements:
- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
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- A connection to the internet
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
PTCB Recognition
RxCe.com, LLC, offers pharmacy technician continuing education courses for PTCB recertification. Pharmacy technician courses are indicated both in the Target Audience description and the ACPE UAN which will end with a "T".