title: What Are the Circumstances of Falls and Fractures in Long-Term Care?
abstract: This prospective, observational study characterizes the circumstances that led to falls in long-term care (LTC) residents and describes the characteristics of residents who fractured following a fall. Staff recorded the location of the fall, time of day, activity the participant was doing prior, and if an injury occurred. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the falls, and a generalized linear model was used to determine differences between the circumstances. Of the 101 LTC residents who participated, 41 per cent experienced at least one fall. Residents were significantly more likely to have fallen in the bedroom and while walking. Of the 17 falls resulting in fractures, most occurred in the bedroom and bathroom, during the early morning; most residents who fractured were female with cognitive impairment. To monitor falls comprehensively, ambulatory monitoring that avoids privacy issues in bedrooms or bathrooms may be needed. Interventions should target walking or the bedroom setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology,University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McArthur
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology,University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology,University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology,University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Lora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giangregorio
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016138:Walking
keywords: aging; chutes; falls; fractures; long-term care; soins à longue durée; vieillissement