Firearms in Frail Hands An ADL or A Public Health Crisis

• Published in: American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 337 - 340
• Main Authors: Patel, Dupal, Syed, Quratulain, Messinger-Rapport, Barbara J., Rader, Erin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living - psychology; Aged, 80 and over; Firearms - legislation & jurisprudence; Frail Elderly - psychology; Humans; Male; Opinions and Controversies; Public Health - legislation & jurisprudence; agitation; dementia; firearm laws; firearms
• ISSN: 1533-3175; 1938-2731
• DOI: 10.1177/1533317514545867

The incidence of neurocognitive disorders, which may impair the ability of older adults to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), rises with age. Depressive symptoms are also common in older adults and may affect ADLs. Safe storage and utilization of firearms are complex ADLs, which require intact judgment, executive function, and visuospatial ability, and may be affected by cognitive impairment. Depression or cognitive impairment may cause paranoia, delusions, disinhibition, apathy, or aggression and thereby limit the ability to safely utilize firearms. These problems may be superimposed upon impaired mobility, arthritis, visual impairment, or poor balance. Inadequate attention to personal protection may also cause hearing impairment and accidents. In this article, we review the data on prevalence of firearms access among older adults; safety concerns due to age-related conditions; barriers to addressing this problem; indications prompting screening for firearms access; and resources available to patients, caregivers, and health care providers.