EVALUATION OF FOOT AND ANKLE IMPAIRMENTS AS RISK FACTORS IN PREDICTING ELDERLY FALLS IN THE NURSING HOME (FOOT IMPAIRMENTS, FALLING).
Contributors: Walden University.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 117
Subjects: Gerontology.
Description: Falls are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly nursing home residents. Prior studies of falls in this population have given relatively little attention to foot pathology. It was postulated that the number of foot and ankle abnormalities detected on a detailed foot and ankle examination would correlate with the presence of falls. In a descriptive and correlational study, forty fallers (F) were compared with thirty-six nonfallers (NF) utilizing a Foot Evaluation Score (FES) which reflected vascular, neurologic, dermatologic, biomechanical, gait, and balance abnormalities. All F and NF were ambulatory nursing home residents.

Results indicate that: (1) Falls in nursing home residents are highly correlated with foot and ankle pathology; (2) FES is a highly specific and sensitive predictor of falls in an elderly nursing home population. If validated prospectively, FES may be a useful tool to target interventions to prevent falls in nursing home residents.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-06, Section: A, page: 2280.

Thesis (PH.D.)--WALDEN UNIVERSITY, 1993.

School code: 0543.