Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun;33(6):1677-1682.
doi: 10.1007/s40520-020-01635-8. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

Cognitive status as a robust predictor of repeat falls in older Veterans in post-acute care

Affiliations

Cognitive status as a robust predictor of repeat falls in older Veterans in post-acute care

Amber D Rochette et al. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Background: While repeat falls are common in post-acute care (PAC), risk factors have not been fully elucidated.

Aims: The objective of thids study is to evaluate the contribution of cognitive function to repeat falls in older PAC Veterans.

Methods: Data were collected from medical records for 91 single and 30 repeat fallers over 5 consecutive years (2011-2016).

Results: After controlling for demographic and medical factors, lower Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score was associated with increased odds of repeat falls. MMSE scores below 20 (with age held constant at the mean) were associated with a greater than 50% chance of a repeat fall (compared to 24.7% base rate). Admission for a neurologic reason further increased risk.

Discussion: PAC Veterans who experience a fall have an increased risk of repeat falls with concomitant cognitive dysfunction and/or admission for neurologic reasons.

Conclusions: Results support tailoring multi-component interventions for those with cognitive dysfunction utilizing standardized mental status screening upon admission.

Keywords: Cognitive function; Older adults; Post-acute care; Repeat falls.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. VA National Center for Patient Safety, Falls Toolkit. http://www.patientsafety.va.gov/professionals/onthejob/falls.asp . Accessed 13 Jan 2020
    1. Morley JE (2014) Adverse events in post-acute care: the office of the inspector general’s report. JAMDA 15:305–306 - PubMed
    1. Donald IP, Pitt K, Armstrong E, Shuttleworth H (2000) Preventing falls on an elderly care rehabilitation ward. Clin Rehabil 14:178–185 - DOI
    1. Vassallo M, Vignaraja R, Sharma JC et al (2004) Predictors for falls among hospital inpatients with impaired mobility. J R Soc Med 97:266–269 - DOI
    1. Rochat S, Monod S, Seematter-Bagnoud L et al (2013) Fallers in postacute rehabilitation have worse functional recovery and increased health services use. JAMDA 14:832–836 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources