Is fall prevention important for people with dementia?
Kuzuya et al (2007) identify the predictors of caregivers' burden in caring for community-dwelling frail elders. The Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) score of caregivers and recipients, the level of severity of dementia, the activities of daily living (ADL) score and fall history in the past 6 months were found to be independently associated with the caregiver-burden.
Elderly people with dementia have a twice to three times greater risk of falling than cognitively intact ones. The annual incidence of falls for persons with dementia is 40% to 60%. Scoring less than 20 in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) correlates with falls (Staples, 2006). In addition, male gender, decreased visual perception, and walking difficulties are all associated with an increased chance of falling (Eriksson et al., 2007).
In view of fall history being an independent predictor of caregiver-burden and common among the demented elderly, fall prevention measures may be useful. They would help to prevent fall-related injuries in people with dementia, in turn avoiding a further increase of caregiver-burden.
Therefore, the implementation of strategies for preventing falls and related injuries in people with dementia is crucial and should be tailored according to the factors specifically contributing to falls among this group. Some suggestions are available in the "Guidelines for Home Safety & Environment Design" under the Educational Resources section of this website.
Eriksson, S., Gustafson, Y. & Lundin-Olsson, L. (2007). Characteristics associated with falls in patients with dementia in a psychogeriatric ward. Aging - Clinical & Experimental Research, 19(2), 97-103.
Kuzuya, M., Masuda, Y., Hirakawa, Y., Iwata, M., Enoki, H., Hasegawa, J. et al (2006). Falls of the elderly are associated with burden of caregivers in the community. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(8), 740-5.
Staples, S. (2006). Comprehensive rehabilitation for older persons with dementia. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 22 (3), 197-212.
Chi-Man TSUI, BSc(Hons)OT, MMedSc, OTR
TAG: Aug Issue