Perceived Fall Risk and Functional Decline: Gender Differences in Patient's Willingness to Discuss Fall Risk, Fall...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in older adults.
• Fall-related fractures are more common in older women than men.
• Understanding patient perception of fall risk is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare older adults' perceived fall risk with their actual risk for functional decline and death.
• To assess comfort levels in discussing fall history and home safety with healthcare providers.
• To analyze gender differences in fall risk perception and functional decline risk.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to elders in an Emergency Department (ED).
• Utilized validated tools: Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES).
• Analyzed 146 surveys including demographics, FES, and VES scores.

Main Results:

• Females reported higher fear of falling (higher FES scores) and greater risk for functional decline (higher VES scores) than males.
• A strong correlation (r = 0.80) was found between perceived fall risk (FES) and actual risk for decline/death (VES).
• 77% of participants were comfortable discussing fall risk with a provider, with no gender difference.

Conclusions:

• Perceived fall risk strongly correlates with actual risk for functional decline and death in older adults, irrespective of gender.
• Most older adults are willing to discuss fall risk with their providers.
• This indicates a significant opportunity for implementing fall risk mitigation strategies in clinical settings.