Syncope and Falls in the Elderly (SaFE)
“I never realised that I was losing consciousness. Each time I found myself on the ground I thought I had tripped” - Patient
This advisory area has been put together to provide information and advice to older adults, their families, carers, care workers and medical professionals on syncope. The information is aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of syncope and providing better support specifically for older adults who experience blackouts unexplained falls or who are diagnosed with syncope.
What is Syncope?
Syncope is the medical term for a faint that is caused by a reduction in blood supply to the brain, due either to a diversion of blood away from the brain or to a heart problem). As we get older, the prevalence of syncope increases as our bodies are less able to deal with falls in blood pressure as the body’s mechanisms slow over the years. Syncope is also more difficult to diagnose in older people because there are often multiple causes. (Please click on the video link for information on syncope in older people from STARS Patron Professor Rose Anne Kenny).
Syncope causes falls
One of the major concerns with syncope is the potential injury that may be sustained during the fall which is often caused by a faint. There are many risk factors causing falls in older people. External causes, such as badly fitting slippers cause 50% of falls in older people. Orthostatic intolerance is one of the major causes for the other 50% of falls. Up to half of the residents of nursing homes fall each year, and as many as 40% of them fall more than once.
Misdiagnosis
30% of patients aged 65 years and over who have experienced syncope will not be aware that they have fainted, they instead will report that they have fallen. This is due to a brief loss of memory in the time just before losing consciousness (medically termed retrograde amnesia). As a consequence, doctors may be likely to diagnose a mechanical fall and patients will not be investigated for the actual cause, such as low blood pressure, or an arrhythmia (irregular, too fast or too slow heart rhythm). Unfortunately this may leave the loss of consciousness untreated.
STARS Syncope and Falls in the Elderly (SaFE) project
Aims for older people:
• to promote accurate diagnosis and treatment of syncope
• raise awareness of syncope as a cause of falls
• provide information and support
If more people are made aware of syncope as a cause of falls, the root cause could be treated and recurring falls prevented.
Activities 2010
Over the last year STARS has developed and distributed new information and advice for older people with syncope. All information is approved by the STARS medical advisory committee and is endorsed by the Department of Health.
Following the success of the ‘Syncope and Falls in the Elderly’ project STARS has gone on to develop a further 
resource to raise awareness of syncope in elderly care homes. With the guidance and support of a geriatrician, syncope support sister and feedback from care homes in the West Midlands area we have developed a new resource ‘Syncope in care home residents’. The resource is designed to provide information and support to staff looking after elderly residents prone to syncope (fainting). The Syncope in care home residents resource contains advice for care home staff on what to do in the event of a resident experiencing a syncopal episode and information on long term preventative measures to reduce the prevalence of syncope in care homes.
In December, STARS was proud to receive recognition from the British Geriatric Society (BGS) who gave their endorsement of the STARS care home resource. BGS is a professional association of doctors practising geriatric medicine, with a particular interest in the medical care of older people and in promoting better health in old age.
Activities 2011
In 2011, STARS will be going forward into care homes to provide education, support, and information on the management of syncope to staff to improve the care and treatment of elderly residents prone to fainting. It is hoped that the Syncope in care home resource will go some way to reduce the number of falls caused by faints and improve the quality of life of older people in care. Faints and falls should never be considered a normal part of ageing, it must be recognised that most faints in older people can be treated.
Patient literature available for older people with syncope
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Do you suffer from unexplained
blackouts or falls?
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Syncope causes falls in older people
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Common Causes and Preventative
Measures on Syncope in Older People
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Pacemaker
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Bradycardia
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Key facts on Syncope as a cause
of falls – for Medical Professionals
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