By: Bella Pina

Falling is undeniably bad for the health and wellness of any older adult, but for a person living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, the odds precariously lean towards falling. Predicting and preventing falls can dramatically extend and improve the quality of a senior’s life as they age, whether they have Alzheimer’s or not. 

Fall prevention is vital to maintaining quality of life and aging in place. According to a 2024 study by the AARP, around 75% of older adults stated that they want to stay in their homes for their lifetime rather than joining a senior care or other clinical support facility. To do that, seniors need community support, as well as fall-prevention and prediction technology, to ensure they receive needed care quickly and can live safely at home longer.

What do falls have to do with dementia and Alzheimer’s?

Falling has been identified as a warning sign of a potential future dementia diagnosis. For seniors who have experienced a fall, the predicted likelihood of developing dementia later on is 22%, and that number increases to 73% with more falls. The current theory is that falls might speed up the development of the disease in people who already have the underlying pathology. After one fall, the likelihood of another fall increases exponentially for all older adults.

Does falling guarantee that the person will later develop Alzheimer’s or dementia? The short answer is no. Falling does not make you develop dementia, but the statistics are real: people who later develop dementia often will have a serious fall, whether that is before they develop the disease or later. After diagnosis, 44% of people with Alzheimer’s will experience a fall incident every year, averaging about 1.3 falls per year. 45% of these falls will result in an injury, and the more severe the disease, the more likely a lasting injury or functional decline is to occur. To put these numbers in context, according to the CDC, 25% of older adults will fall each year, meaning that the likelihood of falling nearly doubles for people living with Alzheimer’s. All older adults who experience a fall are at risk of lasting injury, but people living with Alzheimer’s have been found to recover more slowly, if at all, which leads to a downward spiral of functional, physical, and mental decline.

Functional decline is the decrease in ability to care for one’s daily needs or tasks. For example, an older adult who has fallen and now has a walking aid is less mobile and may not be able to carry in groceries with one hand or stand long to cook a meal, so they buy frozen meals or order food. This functional decline impacts the quality of their life while they heal. Because of this, people with Alzheimer’s or dementia do not recover as quickly and can even reinjure themselves before the healing process ends, causing a declining loop of personal care ability on top of the effect of the disease already.

Aging in place with fall prediction and prevention technology.

The good news is that there are things you can do to predict and prevent falls. For seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia, falls occur more often in transition spaces, like in and out of bed or reaching for a non-motorized walking aid. Fall prediction for people with Alzheimer’s and cognitively normal seniors looks like a wearable fall detection device that can connect the person to support if a fall is detected. Wearing such a device at all times allows the technology to be there to detect the fall when the incident is happening.

As a caregiver, how can I be prepared or prevent my loved one from falling?

Caregivers, please note that if a loved one has fallen more than once, the odds are strikingly high that they will fall again. There is a lot that you can do to predict and prevent falls at home or in a clinical setting. Caregivers shouldn’t be alarmed by these fall rate statistics if they are prepared. Screening for falls using health data is the first line of defense. Changes in walking stability, confidence, or even a previous fall may be a sign you should increase monitoring or care for your loved one. If your loved one is less physically stable than usual during their next checkup, ask for a dementia assessment as well. Early screening can help you and your loved one navigate the early phases of dementia if the disease is present, with extra support to prevent the likelihood of a future fall. Fall detection technology can also be used to analyze changes in mobility that predict the likelihood of a fall occurring. Equipping the senior’s home for fall prevention is also a great practice. You can check out the CDC’s room-by-room fall prevention guide for ideas: HERE

How fall prediction and detection technology works to catch and predict falls

Fall detection monitors whether a fall has occurred using tech like impact detection or elevation sensors. The tech, like Theora Care’s AI-powered Smart Fall Detection, then analyses the data immediately before and after to more accurately decide if a fall has occurred. For example, if you have an older adult with Alzheimer’s who has fallen while trying to get out of bed, then the tech will notice the elevation change, the impact of the fall, and whether the person got back up or if they are still on the ground to determine if a fall has occurred. If a fall is detected, a call is initiated to the predetermined caregiver, who can talk to them to determine if they need help or be with them on the call for emotional support while emergency services or the caregiver is on the way. 

For caregivers of people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, fall detection technology can monitor even more factors, like activity, fall detection, and GPS locations, to inform how much care an individual might need on a day-to-day basis. Around-the-clock detection can also catch falls that may occur in odd hours and may not be reported by the individual. Many of these health factors can be warning flags for potential falls and can function as fall prevention for caregivers. Fall prediction and prevention are not only possible but also very achievable for the average caregiver with modern technology to provide the lifestyle and care your loved one needs while honoring their desire to age in place. If you are interested in learning more about Theora Connect, you can find out more by visiting our Theora Connect page, or you can read our recent article on “How to pick the best smartwatch for seniors” for some thoughtful questions to get you started on your own research journey.