Pilot study results. Falls among institutionalized elderly

Increased cognitive impairment relates to poorer balance, to greater dependence in activities in daily living (ADL), and to perceptions of greater balance. Also, greater depression relates to better balance, to less dependence in ADL, and to perceptions of poorer balance. Those who fell were significantly younger and more dependent in ADL than residents who did not fall. However, there were no significant differences between these two groups for sex, length of institutionalization, depression, cognitive impairment, balance, or perceptions of balance. The findings that actual balance and perceptions of balance may not be congruent among cognitively impaired and depressed elderly has important implications for assessment and intervention. Perceptions are central to the decision of a person to ambulate or transfer and engage in other activities, and discrepancies between actual and perceived abilities may lead them to perform activities that they are unable to do safely.