Examining the Use of the 10-meter Walking Test With Obstacle in Geriatric Individuals.
Examining the Use of the 10-meter Walking Test With Obstacle in Geriatric Individuals.
Balance and fall problems are one of the most common geriatric syndromes in the elderly. Falls are one of the leading factors causing mortality in the elderly. One-third of individuals aged sixty-five and over fall once or more every year. When the causes of death in elderly individuals are examined; Accidents come in fifth place, and 2/3 of these accidents occur due to falls. The frequency of falls increases with age in 22% of individuals between the ages of 65-69. This rate is stated as 31% between the ages of seventy-five and seventy-nine, and 40% between the ages of 80-84.
Geriatric individuals may be at risk of falling in different situations, often inside and outside the home. Falls generally occur more frequently in indoor areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. In these areas, falls caused by potentially dangerous factors such as slippery floors, carpet edges, and high thresholds are more common. A frequent fall occurs when jumping over an obstacle. Factors such as poor balance, vision problems or reduced muscle strength when overcoming obstacles can increase the risk of falling in this situation. The ability of geriatric individuals to overcome obstacles during daily activities is an important factor determining quality of life. Climbing stairs or crossing high thresholds is an important part of daily living activities and poses a risk of falling. Therefore, determining the stair height threshold and assessing obstacle crossing skills should be considered effective measures. When the literature is examined, clinicians generally prefer simpler functional tests because assessments involving disabilities take a long time to be administered, involve some equipment, and also require training to perform the assessment. In the literature, there is currently a version of the functional tests that is applied only by adding obstacles to the timed get up and go test. Thanks to this test, the ability of geriatric individuals to overcome obstacles can be evaluated and people can be trained with this test. For this reason, we wanted to determine the suitability of the 10-meter walking test, which is frequently used in geriatric individuals, when applied with the addition of an obstacle.
Balance and fall frequency in geriatric individuals is an important health problem that occurs as a natural consequence of aging. Factors such as decrease in muscle mass, decrease in bone density and changes in sensory organs with aging can negatively affect balance. This may increase the risk of falls in the geriatric population. Falls can cause serious injuries and loss of independent living skills. Therefore, it is important to evaluate balance and fall risk in geriatric individuals, develop preventive strategies and implement appropriate rehabilitation programs.
Geriatric individuals may be at risk of falling in different situations, often inside and outside the home. Falls generally occur more frequently in indoor areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. In these areas, falls caused by potentially dangerous factors such as slippery floors, carpet edges, and thresholds are more common. Another situation occurs when passing over an obstacle. Factors such as poor balance, vision problems or decreased muscle strength when overcoming obstacles can increase the risk of falling in this situation. The ability of geriatric individuals to overcome obstacles during daily activities is an important factor determining quality of life. Climbing stairs or crossing high thresholds is an important part of daily living activities and poses a risk of falling. Therefore, determining the stair height threshold and assessing obstacle crossing skills should be considered effective measures. When the literature is examined, clinicians generally prefer simpler functional tests because assessments involving disabilities take a long time to be administered, involve some equipment, and also require training to perform the assessment. In the literature, there is currently a version of the functional tests that is applied only by adding obstacles to the timed get up and go test. For this reason, we wanted to determine the suitability of the 10-meter walking test, which is frequently used in geriatric individuals, when applied with the addition of an obstacle.
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Exclusion Criteria: