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- Conradsson, Mia, et al.
(author)
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The Berg Balance Scale : Intra-rater reliability in older people dependent in ADL and living in residential care facilities
- 2006
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the absolute and the relative intra-rater reliability of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and living in residential care facilities.Methods: The participants were 45 older people, 36 females and 9 men, who were dependent in ADL and living in three residential care facilities. Their mean age ± SD was 82.3 ± 6.6 (range 68-96) and mean ± SD of Mini Mental State Examination score was 17.5 ± 6.3 (range 4-30). The BBS was assessed twice by the same assessor, at approximately the same time of day, and with 1-3 days in between. The absolute reliability for the difference in score between the two test occasions was calculated with the Bland and Altman analysis of variance with 95 % confidence level. The relative reliability was calculated with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC).Results: For the first test of the BBS, mean ± SD was 30.1 ± 15.9 (range 3-53) points and for the retest 30.6 ± 15.6 (range 4-54). The absolute difference between the two test occasions was in mean ± SD 2.8 ± 2.7 (range 0-11) points. The absolute intra-rater reliability was calculated to 7.7 points and the ICC value was 0.97. Conclusions: Despite a high ICC value, the result of the absolute reliability show that a change of 8 BBS points is required to reveal a genuine change of function among older people who are dependent in ADL and living in residential care facilities. This knowledge is important in the clinical setting when evaluating an individual's change in balance function over time.
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- Eriksson, Staffan, et al.
(author)
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Circumstances surrounding falls in patients with dementia in a psychogeriatric ward
- 2009
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In: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 49:1, s. 80-87
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- People with dementia have an increased risk of falling. Predisposing factors explain only a small part of the variation in falls among people with dementia. The purpose of this study was to explore circumstances that are hazardous regarding falls among people with dementia at a psychogeriatric ward. The study comprised 191 participants of whom seventy-five fell a total of 229 times. Prospective data were collected on falls. Hazardous circumstances were calculated in two ways. Firstly possible differences between day/night falls and women/men falls were calculated based on the 229 falls. Secondly time to first fall was used to estimate hazardous circumstances and was based on 75 falls. This study shows a fall rate that was equally high during the night and the day. The proportion of diurnal rhythm disturbances and activity disturbances was higher for falls at night than for falls during the day. Circumstances associated with an increased risk of falls, as shown by a short time to first fall, were anxiety, darkness, not wearing any shoes and, for women, urinary tract infection. All of these are circumstances that should be considered in future fall-related research among people with dementia.
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- Eriksson, Staffan, et al.
(author)
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Comparison of three statistical methods for analysis of fall predictors in people with dementia : negative binomial regression (NBR), regression tree (RT), and partial least squares regression (PLSR)
- 2009
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In: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 49:3, s. 383-389
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Searching for background factors associated with falls in people with dementia is difficult because the population is heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacies of three statistical methods for analysis of fall predictors in people with dementia. NBR, RT and PLSR analyses were compared. Data used for the comparison were from a prospective cohort study of 192 patients at a psychogeriatric ward, specializing in patients with cognitive impairment and related behavioral and psychological symptoms. Seventy-eight of these patients fell a total of 238 times. PLSR and RT analyses are directed at finding patterns among predictor variables related to outcome, whereas an NBR model is directed at finding predictor variables that, independent of other variables, are related to the outcome. The NBR analysis explained an additional 10–15% variation compared with the PLSR and RT analyses. The results of PLSR and RT show a similar plausible pattern of predictor variables. However, none of these techniques appears to be sufficient in itself. In order to gain patterns of explanatory variables, RT would be a good complement to NBR for analysis of fall predictors.
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- Eriksson, Staffan, 1969-
(author)
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Falls in people with dementia
- 2007
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Falls and concomitant injuries are common problems among large groups of the elderly population, leading to immobility and mortality. These problems are even more pronounced among people suffering from dementia. This thesis targets fall risk factors for people with dementia in institutions. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate risk factors for falls, predisposing as well as related to circumstances surrounding falls, and to do this as efficiently as possible. In a prospective cohort study including residents of residential care facilities with and without dementia, the fall rate was higher for those with dementia, the crude incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 2.55 (95% CI 1.60–4.08) and the adjusted IRR was 3.79 (95% CI 1.95–7.36). In the group of people suffering from dementia, including 103 residents, a total of 197 falls resulted in 11 fractures during the 6-months follow-up period. From the same baseline measurements 26% and 55%, respectively, of the variation in falls could be explained in the group of residents with and without dementia. Fall predictors significantly and independently associated with an increased risk of falls in the group of people suffering from dementia were the category “man walking with an aid” and the use of more than four drugs. In a prospective cohort study, including 204 patients in a psychogeriatric ward, a total of 244 falls resulted in 14 fractures. Fall predictors significantly and independently associated with an increased risk of falls were male sex, failure to copy a design, use of clomethiazole, and walking difficulties. Treatment with statins was associated with a reduced risk of falls. With these fall predictors in the negative binomial regression (Nbreg) model, 48% of the variation in falls was explained. The data from the psychogeriatric ward were also analysed with the use of partial least squares regression (PLS) and regression tree to be compared with the results of the Nbreg analysis. PLS and regression tree are techniques based on combinations of variables. They both showed similar patterns, that a combination of a more severe level of dementia, behavioral complications and medication related to these complications is associated with an increased fall rate. Thirty-two percent and 38%, respectively, of the variation in fall rate were explained in the PLS and regression tree analysis. The circumstances surrounding the falls in the psychogeriatric ward were analysed. It was found that the fall rate was equally high during the night and the day. A large proportion of the falls was sustained in the patients’ own room and a small proportion of the falls was witnessed by the staff. This pattern was even more pronounced during the night. The proportion of diurnal rhythm disturbances and activity disturbances was higher for falls at night than for falls during the day. Circumstances associated with an increased risk of falls, as shown by a short time to first fall, were anxiety, darkness, not wearing any shoes and, for women, urinary tract infection. The proportion of urinary tract infection was also higher in connection to falls sustained by women than to falls sustained by men. This thesis confirms that people suffering from dementia are prone to fall. Walking difficulties, male sex and impaired visual perception are factors that should be considered in the work of reducing falls among people suffering from dementia. Furthermore, falls at night, behavioral complications and medication related to these complications should also be considered in this work, especially as the dementia disease progresses. A larger portion of the variation of the outcome variable was explained by the Nbreg model than the regression tree and PLS. However, these statistical methods, based on combinations of variables, gave a complementary perspective on how the fall predictors were related to falls.
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- Eriksson, Staffan, et al.
(author)
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Risk factors for falls in people with and without a diagnosis of dementia living in residential care facilities : a prospective study
- 2008
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In: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 46:3, s. 293-306
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- People with dementia are at increased risk of falling. The purpose of this study was to identify predisposing risk factors for falls in older people with and without a diagnose of dementia living in residential care facilities, and to compare the results. Eighty-three residents without dementia (mean age ± S.D.; 83.5 ± 7.1 years) and 103 with dementia (83.6 ± 6.3 years) in Umeå, Sweden, participated. The baseline assessment included probable risk factors like walking ability, diagnoses and treatment with drugs. The follow-up period was 6 months. In people with dementia, the fall rate was higher (crude incidence rate ratio 2.55, 95% CI 1.60–4.08) and a larger proportion experienced falls (62% versus 41%). In the group without dementia 54.8% of the variation in falls was explained by a model including orthostatism, “women walking with aid”, and treatment with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. In the group with dementia 25.5% of the variation in falls was explained by a model including “man walking with aid”. Our results show that with the same set of common risk factors for falls a considerably lower proportion of the variation in falls can be explained in the group of people with dementia.
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- Littbrand, Håkan, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program for older people dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities : evaluation of the applicability with focus on cognitive function
- 2006
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In: Physical Therapy. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0031-9023 .- 1538-6724. ; 86:4, s. 489-498
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Knowledge concerning the applicability and the effect of high-intensity exercise programs is very limited for older people with severe cognitive and physical impairments. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities. A second aim was to analyze whether cognitive function was associated with the applicability of the program. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 91 older people (mean age=85.3 years, SD=6.1, range=68-100) who were dependent in personal activities of daily living and randomly assigned to participate in an exercise intervention. Their mean score for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was 17.5 (SD=5.0, range=10-29). METHODS: A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program was performed in groups of 3 to 7 participants who were supervised by physical therapists. There were 29 exercise sessions over 13 weeks. Attendance, intensity of lower-limb strength and balance exercises, and occurrence and seriousness of adverse events were the outcome variables in evaluating the applicability of the program. RESULTS: The median attendance rate was 76%. Lower-limb strength exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 53% of the attended exercise sessions, and balance exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 73% of the attended exercise sessions. The median rate of sessions with adverse events was 5%. All except 2 adverse events were assessed as minor and temporary, and none led to manifest injury or disease. No significant differences were observed in applicability when comparing participants with dementia and participants without dementia. In addition, there was no significant correlation between applicability and the MMSE score. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program is applicable for use, regardless of cognitive function, among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living, living in residential care facilities, and have an MMSE score of 10 or higher.
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