Browsing by Subject "Falls (Accidents) -- Prevention"
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Item Parkinson's disease: relationship between environmental design and falls risk(Texas Tech University, 1993-05) Burleson, Laura KeilersThe elderly are often affected by a number of physical and mental disabilities that can threaten the individual's ability to perform normal tasks of daily living. Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease experience difficulty with activities such as sitting down, walking, standing, and reaching. Increased severity of symptoms often places the person with Parkinson's disease at high risk of a fall. Of all the known hazards, such as small area rugs, that exist within the living environment, hazards that contribute to a fall are considered to be among the most serious. A primary purpose of the study was to develop an assessment instrument that measures the goodness-of-fit between persons with Parkinson's disease and their residential living environments. The instrument was designed to investigate and assess interior environmental features that may impair the person's positive mobility and increase the risk of falls. A secondary purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between Parkinson's disease related falls and physical features in the living environment. Twenty-five households occupied by individuals with Parkinson's disease and their spouse or caregivers responded to questionnaires regarding physical status, falls history, and concern for environmental features related to falls risk. An environmental assessment of the major living areas of the home, performed by the researcher, systematically assessed environmental design features within the home environment believed to be hazardous for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the goodness-of-fit based on data from the questionnaires and the environmental design checklists. Data analysis revealed that as study participants experienced increased severity of symptoms which ultimately increased falls risk, physical design changes were also implemented within the interior environment to improve safety. Environmental features that were most commonly changed included floor coverings, chair types, and bathroom safety features. Even though the sample size included only 25 Parkinsonians, correlations suggest a significant relationship does exist between environmental design and falls risk. Through appropriately designed living environments and furniture selection, performance of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living can be facilitated.