Falls risk assessment in optometric practice: an introduction to non-visual and visual risk fac...

2 June 2014
Volume 15, Issue 2

This review identifies risk factors and highlights the demographic and socioeconomic drives for falls reduction strategies.

Introduction

To understand the roles of vision and spectacle lens design in falls risk, it is helpful to have an appreciation of the multifactorial nature of falls. This review defines a fall, highlights the demographic and socioeconomic drives for falls reduction strategies and identifies a range of visual and non-visual falls risk factors. The role of spectacle lens design (single-vision, bifocal or progressive addition lenses) is complex and is outside the remit of this review. 

Optical professionals provide a front-line contact with the elderly and are well placed to offer timely advice with regard to falls risk, particularly by identifying those with a change or reduction in vision. 

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