RESUMEN
Risk of falling is a major concern of long-term care facilities with residents diagnosed with dementia. Use of a brief cognitive assessment focusing on visual spatial abilities could be one strategy in the prevention of falls in residents with dementia. The objective of this study was to determine if a clock test could predict a risk of falls in residents diagnosed with dementia. Three hundred sixty-four individuals with dementia participated (92 men and 272 women; ages 37 to 100, mean 80.5 years, median 83 years). Each participant was given the Reality Comprehension Clock Test (RCCT) three times, and Mini Mental-Status Examination (MMSE) two times to determine criterion-related validity, test-retest reliability, internal consistency; and to set and evaluate a risk of falls score based on the Visual Spatial Score (VSS) component produced by the RCCT. Significant findings included .72 (p < .01) correlation between the RCCT and the MMSE, .90 (p < .01) correlation between the first administration of the RCCT and the second administration of the RCCT; an alpha of .95 (p, < .001) and an F value of 7.6 (p < .001) producing a risk of falls initial VSS of 5 or lower compared to 9 or greater. Chi-square of 6.3 for 30 days (p,< .01), 11.08 for 60 days (p < .01) and 13.3 for 90 days (p < .01) indicated a significant difference in the number of falls occurring in the high risk group (VSS of 5 or lower) compared to the low/ no risk group (VSS of 9 or higher). A risk factor analysis suggested that residents in the higher risk group were three times more likely to have fallen than residents in the low risk group. Knowing a resident's visual spatial ability offers health care providers an opportunity to implement a resident-specific intervention that addresses their cognitive ability and visual spatial deficit that may reduce the resident's risk of falling.
Asunto(s)
Accidentes por Caídas/prevención & control , Demencia/diagnóstico , Evaluación Geriátrica/métodos , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas/normas , Evaluación en Enfermería/métodos , Medición de Riesgo/métodos , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Femenino , Enfermería Geriátrica/métodos , Humanos , Cuidados a Largo Plazo , Masculino , Escala del Estado Mental , Persona de Mediana Edad , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Factores de Riesgo , Conducta Espacial , Selección Visual/métodosRESUMEN
Much attention has been paid to the amount of time Americans spend watching television. Cultivation theory has been important in exploring behavioral effects of television viewing for many years. However, psychosocial health has received much less scrutiny in relation to television viewing time. This investigation examined the hypotheses that television-free individuals and viewers adhering to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations (up to 2 hr of viewing per day) would display a more positive psychosocial health profile when compared with more frequent television viewers. Results confirmed the hypothesis for women, but not for men. Our analysis showed that moderate television viewing, as defined by the AAP, provides a similar relation with psychosocial health as being television-free. Results are discussed in a cultivation theory framework.
