TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - Mismatch of subjective and objective risk of falling in patients with dementia JO - Journal of Alzheimer's disease A1 - Hauer, Klaus A1 - Schwenk, Michael A1 - Englert, Stefan A1 - Rixt Zijlstra, G. A. A1 - Tuerner, Sabine A1 - Dutzi, Ilona SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: Match or mismatch of objective physiological and subjectively perceived fall risk may have serious consequences in patients with dementia (PwD) while research is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To analyze mismatch of objective and subjective fall risk and associated factors in PwD. METHOD: Cohort study in a geriatric rehabilitation center.

OBJECTIVE and subjective risk of falling were operationalized by Tinetti's Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment and the Falls Efficacy Scale-International. Four sub-groups according to objective and subjective fall risk were classified. Subgroups were compared for differences in clinical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral variables. RESULTS: In geriatric rehab patients with mild to moderate dementia (nā€Š=ā€Š173), two-thirds showed a mismatch of subjective versus objective risk of falling, independently associated with previous falls. Underestimation of objective fall risk (37.6%) was determined by lower activity avoidance (OR 0.39), less concerns about falling due to previous falls (OR 0.25), and higher quality of life (OR 1.10), while overestimation (28.9%) was determined by higher rate of support seeking strategies (OR 50.3), activity avoidance (OR 15.2), better executive (OR 21.0) and memory functions (OR 21.5), and lower quality of life (OR.75) in multivariate logistic regression. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients showed a mismatch between objective and subjective falls risk. Underestimation as well as overestimation of fall risk was associated with specific profiles based on cognitive- and psychological status, falls and fall-related behavioral consequences which should be included in the comprehensive assessment of fall risk, and planning of individualized fall prevention programs for this population.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1387-2877 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200572 ID - ref1 ER -