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- Jensen, Jane, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of a fall prevention program including exercise on mobility and falls in frail older people living in residential care facilities
- 2004
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Ingår i: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 16:4, s. 283-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Impaired mobility is one of the strongest predictors for falls in older people. We hypothesized that exercise as part of a fall prevention program would have positive effects, both short- and long-term, on gait, balance and strength in older people at high risk of falling and with varying levels of cognition, residing in residential care facilities. A secondary hypothesis was that these effects would be associated with a reduced risk of falling. METHODS: 187 out of all residents living in 9 facilities, > or =65 years of age were at high risk of falling. The facilities were cluster-randomized to fall intervention or usual care. The intervention program comprised: education, environment, individually designed exercise, drug review, post-fall assessments, aids, and hip protectors. Data were adjusted for baseline performance and clustering. RESULTS: At 11 weeks, positive intervention effects were found on independent ambulation (FAC, p=0.026), maximum gait speed (p=0.002), and step height (> or =10 cm, p<0.001), but not significantly on the Berg Balance Scale. At 9 months (long-term outcome), 3 intervention and 15 control residents had lost the ability to walk (p=0.001). Independent ambulation and maximum gait speed were maintained in the intervention group but deteriorated in the control group (p=0.001). Residents with both higher and lower cognition benefited in most outcome measures. Noassociation was found between improved mobility and reduced risk of falling.CONCLUSIONS: Exercise, as part of a fall prevention program, appears to preserve the ability to walk, maintain gait speed, ambulate independently, and improve step height. Benefits were found in residents with both lower and higher cognitive impairment, but were not found to be associated with a reduced risk of falling
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| 3. |
- Nordin, Ellinor, et al.
(författare)
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Prognostic validity of the Timed Up-and-Go test : a modified Get-Up-and-Go test, staff's global judgement and fall history in evaluating fall risk in residential care facilities
- 2008
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Ingår i: Age and Ageing. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0002-0729 .- 1468-2834. ; 37:4, s. 442-448
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: to evaluate and compare the prognostic validity relative to falls of the Timed Up-and-Go test (TUG), a modified Get-Up-and-Go test (GUG-m), staff's judgement of global rating of fall risk (GLORF) and fall history among frail older people. Design: cohort study, 6-month prospective follow-up for falls. Participants: 183 frail persons living in residential care facilities in Sweden, mean age 84 years, 73% women. Methods: the occurrence of falls during the follow-up period were compared to the following assessments at baseline: the TUG at normal speed; the GUG-m, a rating of fall risk scored from 1 (no risk) to 5 (very high risk); the GLORF, staff's rating of fall risk as 'high' or 'low'; a history of falls in the previous 6 months. These assessment tools were evaluated using sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ to rule in and LR- to rule out a high fall risk). Results: 53% of the participants fell at least once. Various cut-off values of the TUG (12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 s) and the GUG-m showed LR+ between 0.9 and 2.6 and LR- between 0.1 and 1.0. The GLORF showed an LR+ of 2.8 and an LR- of 0.6 and fall history showed an LR+ of 2.4 and an LR- of 0.6. Conclusions: in this population of frail older people, staff judgement of their residents' fall risk as well as previous falls both appear superior to the performance-based measures TUG and GUG-m in ruling in a high fall risk. A TUG score of less than 15 s gives guidance in ruling out a high fall risk but insufficient information in ruling in such a risk. The grading of fall risk by GUG-m appears of very limited value.
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| 7. |
- Rosendahl, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Prediction of falls among older people in residential care facilities by the Downton index
- 2003
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Ingår i: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 15:2, s. 142-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Falls are frequent among older people living in residential care facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the prediction accuracy of the Downton fall risk index among older people living in residential care facilities at 3, 6 and 12 months, and with two different definitions of falls. METHODS: Seventy-eight residents in one residential care facility, 56 women and 22 men, mean +/- SD age 81 +/- 6 years, participated in this study. Forty-seven percent of participants had dementia, 45% depression, and 32% previous stroke. Forty-one percent of participants used a walking device indoors, and the median score of the Barthel ADL Index was 16. At baseline, the Downton fall risk index was scored for each individual. A score of 3 or more was taken to indicate high risk of falls. Participants were followed up prospectively for 12 months, with regard to falls indoors. RESULTS: At 3, 6 and 12 months, and using a fall definition including all indoor falls, sensitivity ranged from 81 to 95% with the highest value at 3 months, and specificity ranged from 35 to 40%. The prognostic separation values ranged from 0.26 to 0.37. Within 3 months, the risk of falling was 36% in the high-risk group (index score > or = 3) and 5% in the low-risk group. The accuracy of predictions did not improve when applying a fall definition in which falls precipitated by acute illness, acute disease, or drug side-effects were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Already after 3 months, the Downton fall risk index appears to be a useful tool for predicting falls, irrespective of their cause, among older people in residential care facilities
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| 8. |
- Rosendahl, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Prediction of falls among older people in residential care facilities by the Downton index
- 2002
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Ingår i: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 15:2, s. 142-147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Falls are frequent among older people living in residential care facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the prediction accuracy of the Downton fall risk index among older people living in residential care facilities at 3, 6 and 12 months, and with two different definitions of falls. METHODS: Seventy-eight residents in one residential care facility, 56 women and 22 men, mean +/- SD age 81 +/- 6 years, participated in this study. Forty-seven percent of participants had dementia, 45% depression, and 32% previous stroke. Forty-one percent of participants used a walking device indoors, and the median score of the Barthel ADL Index was 16. At baseline, the Downton fall risk index was scored for each individual. A score of 3 or more was taken to indicate high risk of falls. Participants were followed up prospectively for 12 months, with regard to falls indoors. RESULTS: At 3, 6 and 12 months, and using a fall definition including all indoor falls, sensitivity ranged from 81 to 95% with the highest value at 3 months, and specificity ranged from 35 to 40%. The prognostic separation values ranged from 0.26 to 0.37. Within 3 months, the risk of falling was 36% in the high-risk group (index score > or = 3) and 5% in the low-risk group. The accuracy of predictions did not improve when applying a fall definition in which falls precipitated by acute illness, acute disease, or drug side-effects were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Already after 3 months, the Downton fall risk index appears to be a useful tool for predicting falls, irrespective of their cause, among older people in residential care facilities.
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