Relationship Between Balance Status and Risk of Falling Among Elderly Patients in Northern Turkey

Abstract

Objective: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the relationship between balance status and risk of falling among elderly patients in northern Turkey. Methods: A total of 436 volunteer elderly inpatients in a university hospital were included in the study. In this study, fall risk among the elderly patients was determined by using the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model. The Berg Balance Scale was used to evaluate the elderly patients' ability to maintain their balance while performing daily activities. Results: The mean Berg Balance Scale scores were 31.9 +/- 18.6 and 39.4 +/- 15.1 among the falling and nonfalling elderly patients, respectively, and a statistically significant difference was found between these 2 groups (t = 3.868, P = .000). The mean scores on the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model were 2.1 +/- 0.1 and 1.7 +/- 0.1 in the falling and nonfalling groups, respectively, but this difference was not statistically significant (t = 1.567, P = .119). Conclusion: A negative correlation was identified between scores on the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model and the Berg Balance Scale among elderly patients who experienced falls. As the balance scale scores decreased, the risk of falling increased (r = -0.183, P = .05).