Screening for Geriatric Syndromes: Falls, Urinary/Fecal Incontinence, and Osteoporosis

Erin M Smith; Amit A Shah

doi:10.1016/j.cger.2017.08.002

Screening for Geriatric Syndromes: Falls, Urinary/Fecal Incontinence, and Osteoporosis

Clin Geriatr Med. 2018 Feb;34(1):55-67. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2017.08.002. Epub 2017 Oct 14.

Authors

Erin M Smith¹, Amit A Shah²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 13400 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 13400 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA. Electronic address: Shah.Amit@mayo.edu.

PMID: 29129217
DOI: 10.1016/j.cger.2017.08.002

Abstract

The geriatric syndromes of falls, incontinence, and osteoporosis are concerns in older adults because of their potential impact on quality of life. Asking about history of falls or a fear of falling should prompt a multifactorial assessment of fall risk and targeted interventions to reduce falls. Urinary and fecal incontinence should be screened because they are common conditions that are underreported due to embarrassment and general perception that incontinence is a normal part of aging. Women over age 65, men over age 70, and younger patients with high-risk characteristics should be screened with bone mineral density testing with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Keywords: Falls; Fecal incontinence; Geriatric syndromes; Osteoporosis; Screening; Urinary incontinence.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Accidental Falls / prevention & control*
Aged
Fecal Incontinence* / diagnosis
Fecal Incontinence* / psychology
Geriatric Assessment / methods
Humans
Osteoporosis* / diagnosis
Osteoporosis* / psychology
Quality of Life*
Risk Assessment
Urinary Incontinence* / diagnosis
Urinary Incontinence* / psychology