PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to provide data about the risk factors related to falls among elderly patients with dementia using meta-analysis.
METHODS
Key words used for search through electronic database (CINAHL, PubMed, Ovid-MEDLINE, RISS, KISS, DBPIA, National Assembly Library) included ‘ dementia’, ‘ Alzheimer’, ‘ fall’. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis and ‘ R’ version 3.2.2 was used to analyze the correlated effect size.
RESULTS
Study results showed that risk factors related to falls were identified as the demographic (age, gender, education), dementia-related (disease duration, cognition), physical (body mass index, walking, balance, activity of daily living, use of walking aids, number of medications including psychotropic drugs, musculoskeletal problems, parkinsonism, comorbidity), psychological (neuropsychiatric symptom, depression), environmental (Physical environment), and fall-related (fall history, high risk group of fall) factors. The effect size of risk factors such as high risk group of fall (r=.35), use of walking aids (r=.33), depression (r=.31), psychotropic drugs (r=.27), Musculoskeletal problems (r=.25) were higher than the other risk factors.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of this study, strategies to improve elderly patient's depression, intensive care for high risk group of fall, and adequate training with walking aids are needed for prevention of falls in elderly patients with dementia

Citations

• Development and Effects of a Person-Centered Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults with Dementia in Long-Term Care Hospitals: For Older Adults with Dementia and Caregivers in Long-Term Care Hospitals
  Jeong Ok Lim, Mee Ock Gu
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2022; 52(3): 341.     CrossRef
• Understanding and Prevention of Fall-related Injuries in Older Adults in South Korea: A Systematic Review
  Ki-taek Lim, Ji-eun Lee, Ha-eun Park, Su-young Park, Woochol Joseph Choi
  Physical Therapy Korea.2019; 26(2): 34.     CrossRef