Predictors of falls in older adults with and without dementia

• Published in: Alzheimer's & dementia Vol. 19; no. 7; pp. 2888 - 2897
• Main Authors: Okoye, Safiyyah M., Fabius, Chanee D., Reider, Lisa, Wolff, Jennifer L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2023
• Subjects: accidental falls; Accidental Falls - prevention & control; Aged; dementia; Dementia - diagnosis; fall risk factors; Humans; Independent Living; living arrangement; Risk Factors; vision impairment; fall risk factors; accidental falls; dementia; vision impairment; living arrangement
• ISSN: 1552-5260; 1552-5279; 1552-5279
• DOI: 10.1002/alz.12916

Introduction Persons living with, versus without, dementia (PLWD) have heightened fall‐risk. Little is known about whether fall‐risk factors differ by dementia status. Methods Using the 2015 and 2016 National Health and Aging Trends Study, we prospectively identified fall‐risk factors over a 12‐month period among community‐living older adults ≥65 years with and without dementia (n = 5581). Results Fall rates were higher among PLWD compared to persons without dementia (45.5% vs. 30.9%). In a multivariable model including sociodemographic, health, function, and environmental characteristics as predictors, vision impairment (OR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.12–4.40), and living with a spouse versus alone (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.09–5.43) predicted falls among PLWD, but not among persons without dementia. History of previous falls predicted subsequent falls regardless of dementia status (OR: 6.20, 95% CI: 3.81–10.09, and OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 2.50–3.40, respectively). Discussion Incorporating appropriate fall‐risk factors could inform effective falls screening and prevention strategies for PLWD. Highlights 46% of persons with dementia had ≥1 falls versus 31% of those without dementia in 2016. Vision impairment and living with a spouse predicted falls in persons with dementia. Study results support tailored fall prevention strategies for persons with dementia.