Determining functional abilities of lower extremities in elderly as a predictor of falls in relation to the expected norms

Abstract

Ability to walk is one of the main motor activities that allow a man to independently function in a social setting. The speed at which a person walks is considered the „sixth sign of vitality“ and is a reliable and sensitive discriminating factor in the prediction of falls in the elderly; it helps to predict the health status of an individual and possible hospitalization and mortality. Determining the functional abilities of the lower extremities in the elderly as a predictor of falls in relation to the expected age and gender normative values . In order to assess the functional abilities of the lower extremities “Time Up and Go Test–TUGT“ was used. The sample included a total of 44 examinees, 24 were male and 20 female examinees. The examinees had between 75-85 years (77,26, SD=2,646). The research was conducted in June 2014 in a residential care home „Bežanijska kosa“, in Belgrade, Serbia. The research showed that the average achievement of the examinees on the TUG test was 17,77 seconds (SD=4,972). The examinees of the first age group had the achievement respectively 15,96 and 17,04, while respondents of older age group had the average achievements respectively 19,60 and 19,48 seconds. A significant effect of the age factor was found, but no significant effect of the gender factors. Compared to the normative values, all differences were statistically significant, which means that the examinees had a higher achievement in all the parameters compared to the expected ones. According to the results, our examinees belong to the category with a high risk of falls.