“Falls in elderly people often result in a loss of autonomy”

Montpellier veut être une ville référente en matière de prévention des chutes. ML – SG

The first National Day for the Prevention of Falls in Seniors will be held on Tuesday, October 1st in Montpellier. Professor Hubert Blain, head of the Gerontology Unit at the University Hospital, will host the conference entitled “The Secrets of Active, Healthy, and Fall-Free Aging”.

Falls after age 65 are responsible for 70,000 femoral neck fractures, 140,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 deaths annually. Because balance disorders have become one of the main causes of loss of autonomy and quality of life among seniors and admission to EHPAD, a national anti-fall plan was launched by the Ministry of Health in 2022.

In Montpellier, 19% of the population is over 60, which represents more than 55,000 inhabitants, 60% of whom are women. But 25% of new arrivals are over 60. In connection with the application for the “Age-Friendly City” label from the WHO and the French-speaking “Age-Friendly City” Network, Montpellier has unveiled its “Aging Well” plan in 2023.

The city aims to be the leading French metropolis in the field of fall prevention among seniors. Hence this first National Day for the Prevention of Falls among Seniors. It is organized by Professor Hubert Blain, head of the gerontology department at Montpellier University Hospital, Pierre-Louis Bernard (UFR STAPS) and Professor Jean Bousquet (MASK-AIR), under the auspices of the National Academy of Medicine.

A very dense program

At 9:30 a.m., Salle Pagezy, 1 Place Francis Ponge (free entry): Public conference “The secrets of active, healthy and fall-free aging!” by Professor Hubert Blain (Pôle de Gérontologie, CHU de Montpellier), Pierre Louis Bernard (UFR STAPS) and Alain Ségu, patient representative. At the end of this conference, the public will be able to benefit from individual assessments of the risk of falling and personalized advice.

At 11:30 a.m., Salle Pagezy (free entry): Workshops on personalized assessment of the risk of falling.

From 2 p.m., Metropolitan Council room, 50 place Zeus: Workshop reserved for health professionals around three themes: “Fall prevention, a global public health priority”, “The national anti-fall plan”, “The example of the Montpellier metropolitan area”

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment only: personalized assessments in Montpellier (several sites), Lattes, Juvignac, Castelnau and Jacou. Registrations at 06 71 00 60 82 or at consult-geronto@chu-montpellier.fr

Professor Hubert Blain answers our questions.

Why is this day an event ?

Because it is the very first and it corresponds to the desire of the Métropole to improve their quality of life on a daily basis. Every year, 2 million falls by people over 65 are responsible for 12,000 deaths – not counting those that are indirect – and 500,000 admissions to emergency rooms. This often results in a loss of autonomy.

Is falling one of the main fears of seniors ?

Yes, with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Because a fall can mean entry into dependency. It is therefore a factor in the alteration of quality of life. Hence the importance of prevention. In Montpellier and in the Metropolis, we are ahead, since we have set up adapted physical activity groups for several years. Associations also provide them, such as “Ma Vie”, whose professionals were trained at the Faculty of Sports Sciences.

What can cause a fall ?

We pay particular attention to sleep apnea or certain medications, which can make you sleepy during the day. We also try to assess patients as early as possible. And tell them that working on their balance or learning to get up on their own helps them become independent. We are emphasizing the need to adapt homes and outdoor spaces. In La Grande-Motte, we worked with the mayor on tree roots that can cause falls.

Students will be present at this day?

Yes, because it is important to raise awareness of these issues among future health professionals. They will help us inform the elderly, and they appreciate being in contact with young people.