Özet:

Introduction: This study was conducted to investigate the fear of falling and admissions related to falls, also the associated factors with each of them among elderly patients who are admitted to the emergency department. Materials and Method: The population of this study consisted of patients aged 65 years and over who were admitted to the emergency department in August 2015. The measurement tool included questions regarding outcomes, functional state, sociodemographic data, balance and walking problems, and admissions to the emergency department due to falls within the past year which was filled by a trained interviewer via semi-structured interviews with the patients and/or their relatives. The logistic regression was applied for the analysis. Results: Of the 555 patients who were included in the study, 12.6% were admitted because of falls. Admissions due to falls were associated with admissions to the emergency department over the past year due to falls, living in nursing homes, and fear of falling. The fear of falling was shown in 22.2% of the study group, and it was found to be associated with female sex, marital status, falling status, and better functional state. Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between falls and the fear of falling among older patients admitted to the emergency department. There is need for further prospective studies to better understand the effect of fear of falling on falls.

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