A new UBCO study proves that prescribed exercises to help prevent falls and injuries among older adults are well worth the cost and have strong returns on investment.
Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and hospitalization among older adults, placing significant strain on individuals, families and the health-care system.
And new research by UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Jennifer Davis shows that money spent to prevent additional falls and avoid significant injuries among older adults at high risk of future falls yields a strong return on the dollar.
Dr. Davis is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Applied Health Economics and an associate professor in UBCO’s Faculty of Management. She conducts economic evaluations alongside randomized controlled trials, comparing cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses in a variety of clinical settings that include falls, cognition and chronic conditions.
Her latest study, recently published in Maturitas, reports on a 12‑month cost‑analysis of the Falls Prevention Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital. The study demonstrated that every dollar invested in the clinic yielded substantial financial and health returns.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: UBC Okanagan News