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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Managing falls in older patients with cognitive impairment | | Author(s) | Morag E Taylor, Kim Delbaere, Jacqueline C T Close, Stephen R Lord |
| Journal title | Aging Health, vol 8, no 6, December 2012 |
| Publisher | Future Medicine, December 2012 |
| Pages | pp 573-588 |
| Source | http://www.futuremedicine.com/loi/ahe |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Cognitive impairment ; Falls ; At risk ; Evaluation ; Measurement ; Accident prevention. |
| Annotation | Research has shown that individuals with dementia fall twice as often as cognitively intact people and are more likely to have injurious falls. Higher morbidity and rates of mortality and institutionalisation after falls have also been reported in this group. In this article the authors categorise risk factors for falls within seven domains, namely psychosocial and demographic factors, medical factors, medication factors, balance and mobility factors, sensory and neuromuscular factors, neuropsychological factors and environmental factors. Each factor is measured using a four-level rating system according to the strength of published evidence associating each factor with falls. The authors then argue that there is limited but emerging literature that is attempting to define and explain why fall risk is increased in this population. This will allow for targeted fall prevention programmes. Currently there are no published randomised controlled trials that have prevented falls in community-dwelling cognitively impaired older people, and conflicting evidence is reported in hospital and residential care trials. Recent exercise interventions have demonstrated significant benefits, such as improved gait speed, strength and balance in people with cognitive impairment/dementia, providing encouraging evidence for further research and clinical interventions. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-121214272 A |
| Classmark | EA: E4: OLF: CA3: 4C: 3R: OQ |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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