Bedrooms were the most common places for in-home falls for elderly people. Commonly observed factors are loss of balance or a slip/trip, explains a new study.

The research suggests that often the elderly stumble not in the darkness but in places where there is plenty of lightq Reuters reported.

People fall in well-lit areas

Four out of five falls in the study happened in well-lit areas, suggesting the problem isn’t that people can’t see where they’re going. Instead, it seems they may be trying to do too much at once, commented to Reuters lead study author Dr. Antoine Piau of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and the University Hospital of Toulouse in France.

Older people generally fall in their common rooms and in situations that seem unlikely for the simple reason that they spend too much time at home (the more you walk, the less you fall, paradoxically; balance, strength and body awareness are better with more activity),” said Dr. Antoine Piau.  

90%  of falls due to loss of balance

Almost 90 percent of falls occurred because people lost their balance, and nearly two-thirds involved a slip or trip as the precipitating factor.

There may be also circumstances, like the common need to go to the bathroom, especially after waking up during sleep, that contribute to falls, explains Dr. Eric Larson of Kaiser Permanente Washington in Seattle  who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.

This is a prime time for falling for a number of reasons – (including) slippery floors and lack of any footwear.”

Read the whole study HERE