Assessment of risk of falls in elderly living at home.
Adriana de Azevedo Smith, Antonia Oliveira Silva, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani Rodrigues and 3 others
PMID 28403333WHAT IT FOUND
Among 240 older adults living at home, high fall risk was linked to female sex, cognitive impairment, previous falls, visual impairment, living alone and rheumatic diseases.
Screening should ask about these factors.
Key findings
01High fall risk was associated with sex, age group, cognitive status and previous falls.
02In the adjusted model, previous falls, living alone, visual impairment and rheumatic diseases were associated with high fall risk.
03The Fall Risk Score ranges from zero to eleven points, and scores of three or more suggest high risk.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that any factor caused falls or that fixing it would prevent falls. The risk score and comorbidities were measured at one time, and comorbidities were self-reported. The sample was 240 older adults from one urban municipality, so it may not apply elsewhere. Only 4.6% lived alone, yet living alone was associated in the regression, so that estimate rests on few people. Some factors significant in simple comparisons were not significant after adjustment.
Declared interests
The article reports CAPES funding. No author conflict-of-interest statement is included.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these links as proof that any factor caused falls or that treating hypertension or vision will reduce falls. This was a cross-sectional survey, and some factors were not significant after adjustment.