Injuries sustained by community-dwelling individuals with dementia

As the percentage of individuals with dementia continues to increase in the American population, it is particularly important to understand and prevent conditions that may have an impact on the course of the disease. In this study, injuries that occurred in the home with a subsequent in-patient admission were studied using a medical record review. Ninety-six percent of individuals were injured as a result of a fall. The falls resulted in fractures in 61% of the subjects. Interestingly, 35% were admitted after only sustaining soft tissue injuries. Most subjects (65%) were discharged to an institutional setting instead of returning home. Clearly, fall prevention should be addressed in-depth when caring for individuals with dementia in the home to prevent early institutionalization.