When ‘be careful’ is not enough
Geriatric medicine expert Dr. Tan Maw Pin warns that fall prevention for the elderly requires more than just telling seniors to be careful. She advocates for a national strategy involving policy, investment, and medical assessment to address the high rate of falls among Malaysians over 60.
Why it matters
Falls are a leading cause of injury and loss of independence for the aging global population, necessitating systemic health policy changes.
PETALING JAYA: “Be careful.” These are caring words often told to older persons to watch their step.
But fall prevention requires more than simply telling the senior citizen to “be careful”, said Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin, a professor in geriatric medicine at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.
Malaysia, she said, has yet to implement a coordinated national falls prevention strategy despite the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025 report stating that about 15% of Malaysians aged 60 and above fall at least once a year.
“Getting the statistics is important but it must lead to policy, investment, implementation and evaluation,” she said.
According to the World Health Organization, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, with adults older than 60 suffering the highest number of fatal falls.
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