Physical Functioning Measures and Risk of Falling in Older People Living in Residential Aged Care Facilities
- 18 November 2010
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease
- Vol. 3 (1), 9-15
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720x10389848
Abstract
Background: Frail older individuals living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) have impaired physical function compared with to older people living in the community. In residents of RACFs, we aimed to produce sex-specific means and empirical norms of objective physical function measures to ascertain whether these measures are predictors of falls. Methods: Data were extracted from a large cohort study investigating fall and fracture rates in RACFs in the Northern Sydney Health Area, Australia. Results: Study participants (n = 602, 70.9% female) were recruited from 51 RACFs. Cohort means (±standard deviation) for females were for grip strength (GS) 16.8±5.3 kg, simple reaction time (RT) 384±154 ms, walking speed (WS) 0.56 ±0.20 ms−1, balance category (B) 3.8±1.1 and sit to stand category (STS) 3.6±0.5. For males, means were for GS 28.8±7.8 kg, RT 335±150 ms, WS 0.62±0.22 ms−1, B 4.1±1.1 and STS 3.7±0.5. Means of B and STS decreased significantly over the 1-year study period for males and females ( p < 0.001). Individual multivariate negative binomial regression models for each functional outcome showed having a WS −1 (IRR = 1.37, 95% Cl = 1.03—1.84), a STS score of 3 (IRR = 1.39, 95% Cl = 1.09—1.79) and B category of 3 or 5 (IRR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.29—2.22) were significantly associated with an increased fall rate. Conclusions: This study establishes normative values for physical function tests in mobile residents of RACFs and demonstrates that walking speed, balance and sit to stand impairments are associated with falls in this group.Keywords
This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit:
- Associations between drug burden index and physical function in older people in residential aged care facilitiesAge and Ageing, 2010
- Statistical modelling for falls count dataAccident Analysis & Prevention, 2010
- Frailty, disability and survival in the elderly over the age of seventy: Evidence from “The Treviso Longeva (TRELONG) Study”Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2009
- Trends in calcium and vitamin D usage among older people in nursing care facilities in Australia: still falling short of the guidelinesInternational Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 2008
- Frailty, morbidity and survivalArchives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2005
- Medication use and risk of fallsPharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2002
- Prevention of Falls among the ElderlyThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1989
- Risk Factors for Falls among Elderly Persons Living in the CommunityThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1988
- Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary reportJournal of Psychiatric Research, 1983
- “Mini-mental state”: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinicianJournal of Psychiatric Research, 1975