EFFECT OF CAREGIVERS' EFFORTS IN HOME MODIFICATION ON PREVENTING FALLS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA. (11th November 2018) - Zhou, Y
Abstract: People with dementia (PWD) have higher risk of falls comparing to their age-matched peers. For community-dwelling PWD, caregivers' efforts are noted to be important for preventing falls for PWD, especially regarding to creating a safer home environment. However, there is limited evidence about the effect of caregivers' efforts in home modification on preventing falls for community-dwelling PWD. Linking the National Health and Aging Trend Study (2015, 2016) and National Study of Caregiving (2015), we used the propensity-score matching approach to examine the causal effect of caregivers' efforts in home modification on preventing falls for community-dwelling PWD based on 11 demographic and health covariates of PWD and their primary caregivers. We find that among 348 dyads of community-dwelling PWD and their primary caregivers, 54% of the caregivers have made efforts in home modification to make the home safer for PWD. However, the average treatment effect (ATE) on reducing fall risk for PWD is -0.0067 (p= 0.9377). It represents there is almost no effect of caregivers' efforts in home modification on preventing falls for community-dwelling PWD. Physical capacity, depression, and education of PWD might influence the probability that caregivers would make efforts in home modification for PWD. The finding shows that although more than half of the caregivers are trying to make the home safer for PWD, however, more support, options of fall prevention strategies, training for caregivers are needed in the future. The necessity to include the perspective of caregivers when developing fall prevention program for PWD is discussed.