Patterns of fall-over accidents among elderly

A homogeneity analysis with records of lifesaving emergency teams

Abstract

  This study explored patterns of fall-over accidents among the elderly with records of lifesaving emergency teams based on homogeneity analysis. We used 224 cases of fall-over accidents in Tsuchiura city of 2005 for the analysis.

  The homogeneity analysis extracted two dimensions. The first dimension was related to the location of the accidents and the sex of cases, while the second dimension was correlated to levels and parts of damage. The plotted variables on the two dimensions revealed four patterns of fall-over accidents. The first pattern was outdoor accidents correlated to relatively active young-old (less than 65 years old) people or drunken males. The second pattern was indoor (contains the entrance and garden) accidents related to the old-old (more than 75 years old, less than 90 years old) or females with decline of muscular power, and moderate damage. The third pattern was serious damage from falls correlated to the oldest- old (more than 90 years old) and basic activities of daily living: going to the rest room and standing up. The fifth pattern was slight damage accidents with activities of sitting down or getting into bed.