Risk factors for injuries and falls among adults with developmental disabilities.
Seizures, destructive behavior, and antipsychotic use are the clearest warning lights for injuries in adults with developmental disabilities.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Simpson et al. (2001) looked at the adults with developmental disabilities. They asked: what makes these adults fall or get hurt?
Staff filled out a short survey about each adult. The survey listed seizures, meds, and behaviors.
What they found
Three red flags popped out. Lots of seizures, destructive acts like hitting walls, and daily antipsychotic pills.
If an adult had all three, injury risk jumped highest. Seizures alone still topped the list.
How this fits with other research
Choi et al. (2020) ran a similar check and found a new flag: needing help with bathing or dressing. Both studies agree that weaker daily skills predict falls, just measured in different ways.
de Kuijper et al. (2013) and Hilton et al. (2010) zoomed in on antipsychotics. They showed these drugs cause shaky hands, weight gain, and tardive dyskinesia. K’s team adds a fresh angle: the same drugs also raise fall risk, probably because of those side effects.
Libero et al. (2016) worked with kids and found that rigid routines plus impulsivity forecast later destructive behavior. K’s adult data fit like a puzzle piece: the kids flagged by E’s team likely grow into the high-injury adults K counted.
Why it matters
You can now triage your caseload in minutes. Circle clients who have frequent seizures, break objects, or take antipsychotics. Move them to the top of your safety plan list. Pair them with helmets, padded furniture, or med reviews. One quick staff checklist can cut injuries before they happen.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present study was designed to identify risk factors for injuries including falls and non fall-related injuries among adults with developmental disabilities. The following variables were examined as potential risk factors: age, gender, level of intellectual disability, health, seizures, ambulatory status, adaptive and maladaptive behaviours, use of antipsychotic drugs, and type of residential setting. The subjects were 268 adults with developmental disabilities > or = 30 years of age. A total of 30 participants (11%) were reported to have injuries. Over 50% of injuries were caused by falls. Individuals who had a higher frequency of seizures, had more destructive behaviour and used antipsychotic drugs had the highest risk of injuries. A sub-analysis of fall-related injuries indicated that individuals who were > or = 70 years of age, ambulatory and had a higher frequency of seizures had the highest risk of injurious falls. Adaptive behaviour, destructive behaviour and physical health were positively related to non-fall-related injuries. Individuals with developmental disabilities who have better health and greater adaptive behaviour may be more active, and therefore, at an increased risk of non-fall-related injuries.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2001 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.2001.00277.x