Abstract
Every 1 of 3 people +65 years of age fall once every year, approximately 15 % of those falls have serious consequences for the elderly. Tissue damage and broken bones are usual consequences, but the fear of Falling again (FoF), are often the biggest cost for the elderly since FoF has a negative effect on the elderly’s mobility and engagement in physical activities.
Being immobile has been found to be the cause of an early dead. In Denmark
there is a general lack of studies about the frail elderly. Statistics shows that
the number of elderly people over 85 of age is rising, this means that the number of hospitalization after a fall injury will become an even greater task
for the Danish hospitals,
The aim of the study was to show if there is a relationship between physically frail elderly nursing home resident’s subjective evaluation of fall-risk and an objective evaluation of their balance. Further, to suggest tools for fall prevention
in nursing home settings on the basis of the results of this study and the literature.
A quantitative method inspired by the survey method was used to give an overview of fall patterns, subjective and objective evaluations of fallrisk.
Participants were 16 physically frail elderly nursing home residents from three different nursing homes.
Measures: a small staff-questionnaire about incidences and places
where the participants had falling-episodes during a 12 month period,
The Falls Effi cacy Scale Swedish version (FES(S)) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
Results showed that in a period of 12 months 21 falls among 16 participants were reported: 50% when using the toilet,40% during transfer from/to bed,10% during transportation. FES(S) shows coherence with participants own evaluation of fear of falling and actual number of falls. Furthermore, correlation between subjective fallrisk and objective evaluation of balance in 63% of the participants
is shown. Overall the average sum for BBS is 13,25 which indicates that participants have a rather poor objective balance, and the average
sum for the FES(S) is 44,87 which indicates that the participants evaluate themselves being in risk of falling when they are performing ADL.
In conclusion This study shows that it is very important to use both an objective and a subjective test to assess the fall risk among residents in a nursing home.
This type of research will provide a greater insight into the prevention of
falls and the main results of this study are to a great extent supported
by international research.
A multifactor intervention has shown a great effect in the prevention of
falls, and we suggest this to be a part of the prevention work in nursing
homes. A multifactor intervention is essential in the prevention of falls
because it includes more specialists, and therefore suggests more
perspectives in how to create a more safe daily life for nursing home
residents. Researches indicate that a multifactor intervention group
could consist of OT’s and PT’s.
Occupational therapists who work in nursing homes, and as part of such
multifactor intervention group should e.g. offer guidance, ADL-training,
environmental changes and offer assessment tools to the residents in
order to prevent falls.
Being immobile has been found to be the cause of an early dead. In Denmark
there is a general lack of studies about the frail elderly. Statistics shows that
the number of elderly people over 85 of age is rising, this means that the number of hospitalization after a fall injury will become an even greater task
for the Danish hospitals,
The aim of the study was to show if there is a relationship between physically frail elderly nursing home resident’s subjective evaluation of fall-risk and an objective evaluation of their balance. Further, to suggest tools for fall prevention
in nursing home settings on the basis of the results of this study and the literature.
A quantitative method inspired by the survey method was used to give an overview of fall patterns, subjective and objective evaluations of fallrisk.
Participants were 16 physically frail elderly nursing home residents from three different nursing homes.
Measures: a small staff-questionnaire about incidences and places
where the participants had falling-episodes during a 12 month period,
The Falls Effi cacy Scale Swedish version (FES(S)) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
Results showed that in a period of 12 months 21 falls among 16 participants were reported: 50% when using the toilet,40% during transfer from/to bed,10% during transportation. FES(S) shows coherence with participants own evaluation of fear of falling and actual number of falls. Furthermore, correlation between subjective fallrisk and objective evaluation of balance in 63% of the participants
is shown. Overall the average sum for BBS is 13,25 which indicates that participants have a rather poor objective balance, and the average
sum for the FES(S) is 44,87 which indicates that the participants evaluate themselves being in risk of falling when they are performing ADL.
In conclusion This study shows that it is very important to use both an objective and a subjective test to assess the fall risk among residents in a nursing home.
This type of research will provide a greater insight into the prevention of
falls and the main results of this study are to a great extent supported
by international research.
A multifactor intervention has shown a great effect in the prevention of
falls, and we suggest this to be a part of the prevention work in nursing
homes. A multifactor intervention is essential in the prevention of falls
because it includes more specialists, and therefore suggests more
perspectives in how to create a more safe daily life for nursing home
residents. Researches indicate that a multifactor intervention group
could consist of OT’s and PT’s.
Occupational therapists who work in nursing homes, and as part of such
multifactor intervention group should e.g. offer guidance, ADL-training,
environmental changes and offer assessment tools to the residents in
order to prevent falls.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Publikationsdato | 2006 |
| Status | Udgivet - 2006 |