No, I don’t  mean in battle; but that might have been poetic, as Kavanaugh’s welcome ceremony happened in her absence later in the day.  She fell yesterday evening, and went to the hospital today for treatment of her 3 broken ribs.

As a geriatrician, I have taken care of many older adults who have fallen.  I have also given many talks about falls in older adults.  I like to start my talks with a list of “Famous Fallers” to show the audience that falls can happen to anyone.  So this piece of news jumped out me.  I did not want to add this vibrant 85 year old to my list.

Can we take a minute to talk about falls in older adults?  They are the #1 leading cause of traumatic death and injury in people over the age of 65.  Many fallers never regain their previous level of functioning.  Oftentimes falls can be the beginning of a downward spiral of functional loss and dependence.

What is the #1 risk factor for falling?  Previous falls.

The AP article I saw about RBG said that she had broken 2 ribs during a fall in 2012.  Additionally it mentioned her 2 prior bouts with cancer, a stent placement in 2014, and a bad medication reaction in 2009.

I only hope that she has a good geriatrician looking out for her inside and outside of the hospital.  We can’t prevent all falls, but we can help prevent some, and to minimize the functional loss that often accompanies injuries and hospitalizations in older adults.

What do we know about preventing falls in the older adult?  Exercise helps.  We know RBG does that.

//fave.api.cnn.io/v1/fav/?video=us/2018/08/22/ruth-bader-ginsburg-exercise-routine.cnn&customer=cnn&edition=domestic&env=prod

Unfortunately we know that walking programs alone do not help prevent falls (you don’t shift your center of gravity while walking and this skill is needed to help prevent falls).

What else can prevent falls?  Home safety checklists can help if they lead to changes in the home environment.  Safe footwear can help (slippers tell you just what is going to happen when you wear them).  Minimizing medications also helps–especially those that have been linked with falling.  And good visual care, especially cataract surgery, can help prevent falls.  To learn more see the CDC STEADI campaign.

RBG has taught us so much, including the art of aging well.  Let’s hope that she can recover from this fall and get back in fighting form ASAP.