A fall” is a familiar cause of injuries suffered by the elderly—but what caused the fall? Don’t just assume it comes with age, warns Sarasota occupational therapist Sally Thimm. “It’s not unusual to have patients in their 80s and 90s be independent, live alone and continue to drive safely,” she says. “There is always a reason that a person falls.” It’s important to treat not just the fall itself, but the underlying cause, which may be (or lead to) an even more serious condition. “In a perfect world, our muscles support our bones in harmony when we’re standing and adjust when we take on different postures—walking, moving forward to stand from a chair, getting out of bed, getting on and off the toilet, and so on,” she says. Thimm cites six reasons falls occur, all of which call for a doctor’s follow-up to explore treatment options: • Vision: “Limitations in…