There are many treatments to decrease falls in the elderly that’ve been not helpful.   Home-based and group exercise intervention programs help the most (for elderly living in their own home)!    A second factor to reduce falls is “home safety interventions” when done by occupational therapists.

Treatments which have not been shown to help are

• walking programs,
• hormone replacement therapy, and
• adjustment of medication regimens,
• cognitive behavioral therapy,
• vision improvement interventions, and
• withdrawal of psychotropic drugs,
• vitamin D supplementation, and
• nutritional therapy.

The above information was collected by the 2012 Cochrane Database.  These combined studies performed in 21 countries and included 79,193 patients.  Other specifics include the fact that vitamin D supplementation only helped decrease falls they were vitamin D deficient.

The most successful exercise programs included more than one of the following techniques gait training, balance training, functional training, muscle strength/resistance training, tai chi, walking and 3-D training which is constant, repetitive movements through all three special planes.

If you (or a loved one) need help, please get it.