ABSTRACT
The last 10 years have seen a major change in our attitude to falls. Geriatricians have long known them to be an important problem for older people and have recognized the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary approach but the development of a coherent evidence-based falls prevention strategy is something new. There is now a substantial laboratory and health service literature and this has resulted in evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of falls jointly published by the American and British Geriatrics Societies and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.1 Preventing falls and providing effective treatment and rehabilitation is one of the key requirements in the UK National Service Framework for Older People.2 The frequency of the problem, the high burden of morbidity and the evidence of preventability justify a widespread preventive strategy.
