Estimates produced this month claim that falls among the elderly cost the Government £981m a year. Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Child Health found that the cost of falls increased with age, with the cost per 10,000 of the population was £300,000 in the 60-64 year-old age group increasing to £1.5m for those aged over 75.
A report on commissioning services to help implement the Government's Older People's National Service Framework on Falls, How can we help older people not fall again? has been welcomed by the College of Optometrists. However, the College is disappointed it neglects to detail how crucial good vision is in the effort to prevent these types of accident in the elderly population.
'We would strongly urge the Department to encourage primary care trusts and other healthcare providers to be aware of the link between vision and falls and to take appropriate measures,' said Helen Stanforth, the College's head of professional services.
'All older people undergoing a falls assessment should be screened for visual impairment. Those identified as suffering from visual impairment should have a full eye examination by an optometrist and all older people should be encouraged to have regular eye examinations. The mechanism for achieving this needs to be agreed locally. It should be remembered that everyone aged 60 and over is eligible for NHS eye examinations at no charge to the patient.'
In addition, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines for the prevention and management of accidental falls which will be published in 2004. It is envisaged that the project will include advice on visual acuity and other kinds of visual testing.
A new DoH report aimed at improving the commissioning of services for the prevention of falls among elderly people has been criticised by an optical body for not highlighting the importance of vision.