Falls in patients with dementia who live in residential homes and factors related to falls

Hasan Hüseyin EKER, Aclan ÖZDERr, Mehmet Akif KARAN, Işın BARAL KULAKSIZOĞLU, Turgut ŞAHİNÖZ, Nurullah YÜCEL


Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to determine falls in dementia patients who live in the biggest nursing home of the Turkey and factors related to falls.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Istanbul Darülaceze Management between January and June 2010. The study was made with 371 out of 413 elderly individual volunteering to participate, who are 65 years or older and who have no problem in communicating, seeing, hearing and talking. For the evaluation of the elderly; Standardized Mini Mental Status Test (SMMST) prepared seperately for non-educated and an inventory form including sanitary and demographic features of eldrely has been filled in face to face
interview.

Results: A cognitive dysfunction has been detected in 59.8% (n:222) of the elderly. Level of cognitive dysfunction in elderly was found to be severe in 14.8% and moderate in 28.3%. The average number of falls in elderly in past six months was 0,14±0,45 (min:0 max:4), and it has been found that falls happened more in elderly with moderate cognitive dysfunction in past six months (p<0.05).

Conclusion: No statistically significant difference was detected between falls and gender, age, marital status and status of social security in elderly with dementia.

Key words: Dementia, falls, nursing homes, SMMSTmolestiae.