Assessing the Risk of Falls in Elders With Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

A modified version of the Timed-Up-and-Go Test (TUAG) was tried on a sample of community-based elders with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Eighteen subjects aged 55 and older were tested under 3 conditions: free walking, walking with a rolling walker, and walking with a personal assistant. Trials were done on a 10-ft walkway; each subject performed 3 trials of each condition. The test failed to distinguish fallers from persons who did not have a history of falls. In addition, subjects had great difficulty using the rolling walker and 14 subjects walked slower with the personal assistant than when walking freely. The Modified Up and Go Test (MUAG) has good reliability but poor validity for this sample. The use of traditional compensatory strategies, such as rolling walkers, should be reconsidered for this population.