Elderly Fall Risk

Question 1

What is are the activities of daily livings (ADLs) that need to be addressed in a geriatric assessment?

Answer 1

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Toileting
• Transferring
• Continence
• Feeding

Question 2

What are the instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) that need to be addressed in a geriatric assessment?

Answer 2

• Telephone
• Prepare meals
• Do housework
• Take medicine
• Use transportation
• Manage own money.

Question 3

When are impairments of IADLs are seen?

Answer 3

Seen earlier in the disease process than are ADLs in dementia.

Question 4

What diseases can cause a false positives in increased autoantibodies?

Answer 4

Not associated with autoimmune dz such as:

• Syphilis
• RA
• SLE

Question 5

Prevalence of pain in community dwelling adults is at what %?

Answer 5

25-50%

Question 6

Prevalence of pain in nursing home residents is at what %?

Answer 6

40-80%

Question 7

What vital sign changes with aging?

Answer 7

Higher risk for orthostatic (postural) hypotension.

- esp. in pts being treated for HTN.

Question 8

On the word “go” on the timed get up and go test what does the pt do?

Answer 8

- Stand up from the armchair
- Walk 3 meters (in a line)
- Turn
- Walk back to chair
- Sit down

Question 9

What are you observing during the get up and go test?

Answer 9

• Postural stability
• Steppage
• Stride length
• Sway

Question 10

What is the scoring: normal and abnormal scores?

Answer 10

• Normal: complete task in <10 seconds

- Abnormal: complete task in >20 seconds

Question 11

Low scores (low time in seconds) of the get up and go test correlates with that?

Answer 11

Good functional independence

Question 12

High scores (high time in seconds) of the get up and go test correlates with that?

Answer 12

Poor functional independence and higher risk of falls