The nurse discusses which common cause of TBI in older adults when educating a community group?

• A. Assault
• B. Motor vehicle crashes
• C. Sports injuries
• D. Falls

Answer: (D)

Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury among older adults. As people age, balance problems, muscle weakness, vision changes, and slower reflexes raise the risk of losing balance and falling. Environmental hazards like clutter, poor lighting, slippery floors, and stairs add to that risk. When an older person falls, the head can absorb a hard impact, and age-related brain changes mean the brain sits more loosely in the skull, making injuries more likely even from lower-height falls. Many older adults also take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, which heighten the chance of serious bleeding if the head is injured, leading to worse outcomes.

So in community education, emphasis is placed on fall prevention: home safety improvements (clear paths, grab bars, good lighting, non-slip rugs), balance and strength training, regular vision checks, and medication review to minimize dizziness or sedating effects. While assaults, motor vehicle crashes, and sports injuries happen, they are far less common causes of TBI in the older population compared with falls.