AN EVALUATION OF RISK-FACTORS FOR INPATIENT FALLS IN ACUTE AND REHABILITATION ELDERLY CARE WARDS

Falls occurring in elderly in-patients during periods of hospitalizati on are common, and attempts have been made to predict and prevent them based on risk factor analysis. These have not looked extensively at s pecific elderly care wards. We have investigated in-patient falls in m ixed acute and rehabilitation elderly care wards in a case-controlled study. Fifty fallers were paired with fifty non-fallers, and their ris k factors for falling evaluated. Only three risk factors were signific antly more common in the fallers. These were: a previous history of fa lls; the presence of confusion/disorientation, and needing help to toi let/incontinence/diarrhoea. Prediction of falls based on the presence of the first two of these risk factors gives a sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 88%. A risk factor approach to the prediction of fall s in an in-patient elderly care setting seems to be less practical tha n was previously hoped.