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There's good evidence that something can be done to prevent falls. Occupational therapists can go into the home and eliminate hazards; older people can be taught how to get themselves up, and exercise programs can also help. A relatively new phenomenon in human history, occurring right now, is that our parents are going to be around much longer than ever before. That means that more of us are going to have to deal with their ageing problems as well as our own. One of the most difficult, because of its unpredictability, is the fall. Older people tend to fall for little reason, and can do themselves a lot of damage in the process. There's now good evidence, though, that something can be done about it. If you can get access to allied health services like occupational therapists, they can go into the home, seek out potential hazards and eliminate them. Older people can also be taught practical ways of getting themselves up should they fall, rather than languishing on a cold floor until help comes. And finally, it's been shown again and again that exercise programs, often involving balancing such as Tai Chi, do help — as does reducing or eliminating sedatives and ensuring that antidepressant use is regularly evaluated. One difficulty with these exercise programs, though, is keeping them up over time.
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