Older adult falls in the community: Does unsafe home environment have a risk role through the mediating effect of functional limitations?

We examined baseline conditions of home disorders, unsafe bathroom settings, unsafe house/building features, and house disrepairs in 2018 and their relation with subsequent falls in 2019, after controlling for covariates. To assess whether ADL/IADL limitations mediated this relationship, we employed the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) methodology.RESULTS: In 2019, the self-reported prevalence of falls among older adults was estimated at 34.68%. While baseline home disorders had both a direct (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 1.14, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:1.03,1.26) and an indirect effect through limitations in ADL and IADL (aOR: 1.01; 95%CI: 1.00,1.03), the relation between unsafe bathroom settings and subsequent falls was unclear. Unsafe house/building features and house disrepairs were not statistically significantly related either directly or indirectly with subsequent falls.DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Addressing home disorders through policy and housing assessments to highlight home environmental safety would be essential to address falls among older adults.PMID:37870156 | DOI:10.1093/geront/gnad139

Source: The Gerontologist - October 23, 2023 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Debasree Das Gupta Uma Kelekar Sidney C Turner Source Type: research