Article

People with dementia fall more often than cognitively healthy older
adults, but their risk factors are not well understood.
A review is needed to
determine a fall risk profile for this population.
The objective was to
critically evaluate the literature and identify the factors associated with fall
risk in older adults with dementia. Methods: Articles published between January
1988 and October 2014 in EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched.
Inclusion criteria were participants aged 55 years or older with dementia or
cognitive impairment, prospective cohort design, detailed fall definition, falls
as the primary outcome, and multi-variable regression analysis. Two authors
independently reviewed and extracted data on study characteristics, quality
assessment, and outcomes. Adjusted risk estimates were extracted from the
articles. Results: A total of 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. Risk factors
were categorized into demographic, balance, gait, vision, functional status,
medications, psychosocial, severity of dementia, and other. Risk factors varied
with living setting and were not consistent across all studies within a setting.
Conclusion: Falls in older adults with dementia are associated with multiple
intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors, some shared with older adults in general
and others unique to the disease. Risk factors vary between community- and
institution-dwelling samples of adults with dementia or cognitive impairment.

Langue : ANGLAIS