Abstract
[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the incidence rate as well as the location and timing of falls and performance of activities of daily living (ADL) in 256 patients with stroke who were admitted to an 88-bed rehabilitation ward. [Methods] A retrospective study design was employed to gather information on falls and the level of ADL upon admission and discharge from patients’records. [Results] Of 273 falls among 121 of the 256 patients, 229 occurred in the patient’s room or lavatory, and 129 occurred from 6 to 10 AM or from 4 to 8 PM. 73 patients (53.8%) in the non-faller group required no assistance or only supervision in transferring from a bed to a chair or wheelchair and vice versa. 18 patients (30.5%) in the single-faller group required no assistance or only supervision in transferring, while only 10 patients (15.9%) in the recurrent-faller group required no assistance or supervision in transferring during those activities. Of the 36 patients with motor FIM subscores ≤ 38 and FIM cognitive subscores ≤ 19 at admission, 24 (66.6%) experienced plural falls, whereas 73 (77.7%) of the 94 with FIM motor subscores ≥ 65 and FIM cognitive subscores ≥ 20 did not fall. [Conclusion] Caregivers should be aware that patients are at increased risk of falling within the early morning, late afternoon and early evening. Also, deteriorated motor and cognitive function were associated with a high risk of repeated falls.
