25 Kosana Stanetić, Brankica Marković, Gordana Tešanović, Suzana Savić, Mladen Šukalo, Zora Kremenović Public Primary Health Care Center, Banja Luka, B&H Assessment of risk for falls in elderly Оригинални радови / Original Articles Општа медицина 2014;20(1-2):25-34 UDC 616-001-053.9 Correspondence to: Prim. doc. dr sc. med. Kosana Stanetić 78 000 Banja Luka, B&H Vojvode Momčila 9/a phone: 00387 65 535 790 mirkos@inecco.net Abstract Introduction: Elderly persons have higher risk for falls, compared to yo- unger population. Although no single risk factor causes all falls, a great deal of risk factors to which an individual is exposed, i.e. osteoporosis, lack of physical activity, impaired vision, usage of drugs, living settings etc, can be treated. Objective: To investigate the risk for falls in elderly patients treated in Fa- mily medicine teaching center (ECPM), Primary Health Care Center Banja Luka. Method: This prospective study was conducted in June 2012. The study included 150 patients aged 65 years and older. Patients were chosen randomly. In study were included patients who have visited their family doctors on every of Mondays in June 2012. The Tinetti Gait and Balance Instrument was used to asses the risk for falls. Patients were examined to asses gait and balance according to Tinetti questionnaire, and supplementary questionnaire was created to record data about age, sex, chronic diseases and drugs that patients take. Results: The study included 91 (60.7%) female and 59 (39.3%) male pa- tients. The average age of patients was 74.71 years. 77 (51.3%) were aged 65 to 75 years and 73 (48.7%) were more than 75 years old. Results of Tinetti Gait and Balance Instrument showed that the risk for falls was high in 55 (36.7%), modera- te in 31 (20.7%) and low in 64 (42.7%) patients. Conclusion: Approximately, one third of investigated patients had high risk for falls, what indicates that family doctors should be more involved in fall pre- vention in elderly and in constant educating of older adults and their families. Key words: risk for falls, elderly patients Introduction Getting old is not a disease, but a process in which vital functions become slower and diminished. The process of get- ting old starts in young and middle age, and the consequences of getting old are visible in older age when a person becomes more and more susceptible to diseases and injuries 1 . It is con- sidered that the old age is the age ≥ 65 years. Besides chronol- ogy, as a basis for defining the old age, the change in social role (e.g. change in work pattern, retirement, adult status of their children or menopause) and the change in capabilities (e.g. presence of chronic diseases or physical disability) are also used. The change in social role is the most important for defining the old age 2 . The growth of older population has significantly faster rate than the growth of total population globally. The propor- tion of elderly persons has tripled in period from 1950-2009. and will triple again by 2050. In developed regions through- out the world the proportion of elderly persons has already exceeded the proportion of children in the community, and it is expected to exceed that of children two times by 2050. Median age is approximately 13 years higher in developed countries than in undeveloped countries, and by 2050. is ex- pected to be approximately 20 years higher 3 . As the number of elderly in general population is in- creasing, the number of falls in elderly is also increasing. Al- most one third of elderly falls at least once in their lifetime. The annual prevalence of falls in persons older than 65 years is 28%, and 15% of persons who fall is in a group of so called