Fall risk and frailty level in older adults admitted to the emergency department with a complaint of falling

Abstract

Introduction and aim. Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional death in the world. The study was conducted to examine the risk of falls and levels of frailty in older adult patients admitted to the emergency department due to fractures, as well as to identify the factors that influence fall risk and frailty levels. Material and methods. This cross-sectional and correlational study conducted with 155 older patients. Data collected by the patient information form, Itaki Fall Risk Scale and Edmonton Frail Scale. Results. Patients diagnosed with fracture in the emergency department had a high risk of falling with a mean score of 9.55±3.84.70.3% of the patients were frail. The one-third (30.3%) had severe frailty. There was a moderate positive correlation between the risk of falling and the mean frailty score of the older adult patients (p<0.001). Conclusion. The study showed that older adults admitted to the emergency department due to falls are at high risk of falling and the majority of them are frail. Early determination of fall risk and frailty levels in the older adults with a history of falling, prevention of falls and fractures due to falls will be beneficial in increasing the quality of life of the older adults.