Open AccessEffect of Holding Objects on the Occurrence of Head Impact in Falls by Older Adults: Evidence From Real-Life Falls in Long-Term Care
Author(s) -
Vicki Komisar,
Nataliya Shishov,
Yijian Yang,
Stephen N. Robinovitch
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the journals of gerontology. series a, biological sciences and medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1758-535X
pISSN - 1079-5006
DOI - 10.1093/gerona/glaa168
Subject(s) - odds ratio , odds , confidence interval , medicine , falls in older adults , head (geology) , affect (linguistics) , poison control , injury prevention , demography , physical medicine and rehabilitation , gerontology , logistic regression , psychology , medical emergency , communication , geomorphology , sociology , geology
Falls cause approximately 80% of traumatic brain injuries in older adults, and nearly one third of falls by residents in long-term care (LTC) result in head impact. Holding objects during falls, such as mobility aids, may affect the ability of LTC residents to avoid head impact by arresting the fall with their upper limbs. We examined the prevalence of holding objects and their effect on risk for head impact during real-life falls in older adults living in LTC.