Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Consequences of poststroke falls: activity limitation, increased dependence, and the development of fear of falling.

Schmid AA, Rittman M. Consequences of poststroke falls: activity limitation, increased dependence, and the development of fear of falling. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy: Official Publication of The American Occupational Therapy Association. 2009 May 1; 63(3):310-6.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: We used qualitative data to explore the perceived consequences of poststroke falls during the first 6 months after discharge from the hospital. METHOD: We interviewed 132 male stroke survivors 1 and 6 months after discharge to describe stroke recovery trajectories. Interviews of participants who discussed falling after stroke as one of their major concerns were analyzed to explore the consequences of poststroke falls. RESULTS: During the first 6 months after stroke, 42 (32%) participants discussed poststroke falls. The results of the qualitative analysis indicate three important emergent themes related to the consequences of poststroke falls: (1) limiting activity and participation, (2) increasing dependence, and (3) developing a fear of falling. CONCLUSION: Falls after discharge home were common in this group of stroke survivors. Future research is needed to better understand the impact of fall-related consequences and to explore strategies for fall prevention.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.