Predictors of falls in older adults with and without dementia

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionPersons living with, versus without, dementia (PLWD) have heightened fall‐risk. Little is known about whether fall‐risk factors differ by dementia status.MethodsUsing 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).ResultsFall 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).DiscussionIncorporating 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.