We investigated whether older adults take action to reduce their fall risk after attending a community-based fall risk screening and receiving individual fall prevention recommendations. Older adults attending a free community-based fall risk screening received tailored advice from occupational and physical therapists based on their risk factors. Approximately three months after the screening, participants completed an interview survey via phone to understand actions taken due to the screening and recommendations. Sixteen participants completed the follow-up, and eleven took action or made behavioral changes. The most reported changes included being more cautious with functional mobility, walking speed, or stance, increased physical activity or exercise participation, and increased awareness of environmental hazards. Community-based fall risk screenings may motivate older adults to make behavioral changes to reduce fall risk; however, further research is needed to identify ways to improve the impact of community fall risk screenings and fall prevention recommendations.
Citation: John V. Rider, Shannon Martin, Erin Vieira. Do older adults take action to reduce fall risk after attending a community-based fall risk screening?[J]. AIMS Medical Science, 2024, 11(4): 464-479. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2024032
We investigated whether older adults take action to reduce their fall risk after attending a community-based fall risk screening and receiving individual fall prevention recommendations. Older adults attending a free community-based fall risk screening received tailored advice from occupational and physical therapists based on their risk factors. Approximately three months after the screening, participants completed an interview survey via phone to understand actions taken due to the screening and recommendations. Sixteen participants completed the follow-up, and eleven took action or made behavioral changes. The most reported changes included being more cautious with functional mobility, walking speed, or stance, increased physical activity or exercise participation, and increased awareness of environmental hazards. Community-based fall risk screenings may motivate older adults to make behavioral changes to reduce fall risk; however, further research is needed to identify ways to improve the impact of community fall risk screenings and fall prevention recommendations.
| [1] |
Bergen G, Stevens MR, Burns ER (2016) Falls and fall injuries among adults aged ≥65 years—United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 65: 993-998. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6537a2 
|
| [2] | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Leading Causes of Nonfatal Injury. USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Available from: https://wisqars.cdc.gov/lcnf/?y1=2022&y2=2022&ct=10&cc=0&s=0&g=00&a=lcd1age&a1=0&a2=199&d=0. Updated 2023 Apr 17; cited 2023 May 5 |
| [3] | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Facts About Falls. USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html. Updated 2023 May 12; cited 2023 Jun 2 |
| [4] |
Stevens JA, Ballesteros MF, Mack KA, et al. (2012) Gender differences in seeking care for falls in the aged Medicare population. Am J Prev Med 43: 59-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.03.008
|
| [5] |
Eckstrom E, Parker EM, Lambert GH, et al. (2017) Implementing STEADI in academic primary care to address older adult fall risk. Innov Aging 1: igx028. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx028
|
| [6] |
Stevens JA, Phelan EA (2013) Development of STEADI: a fall prevention resource for health care providers. Health Promot Pract 14: 706-714. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839912463576
|
| [7] | Stevens JA (2013) The STEADI tool kit: a fall prevention resource for health care providers. IHS Prim Care Provid 39: 162-166. |
| [8] | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STEADI—Older Adult Fall Prevention. USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/index.html. Updated 2023 Apr 13; cited 2023 Jun 10 |
| [9] |
Loman MC, Crow RS, DiMilia PR, et al. (2017) Operationalisation and validation of the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) fall risk algorithm in a nationally representative sample. J Epidemiol Community Health 71: 1191-1197. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2017-209769
|
| [10] |
Ness KK, Gurney JG, Ice GH (2003) Screening, education, and associated behavioral responses to reduce risk for falls among people over age 65 years attending a community health fair. Phys Ther 83: 631-637. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/83.7.631
|
| [11] |
Karlsson L, Doe K, Gerry M, et al. (2020) Outcomes of a physical therapist-led, statewide, community-based fall risk screening. J Geriatr Phys Ther 43: 185-193. https://doi.org/10.1519/JPT.0000000000000228
|
| [12] |
Vincenzo JL, Patton SK (2021) Older adults' experience with fall prevention recommendations derived from the STEADI. Health Promot Pract 22: 236-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839919861967
|
| [13] |
Elliot SJ, Ivanescu A, Leland NE, et al. (2012) Feasibility of interdisciplinary community-based fall risk screening. Am J Occup Ther 66: 161-168. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2012.002444
|
| [14] | Knecht-Sabres LJ, Hanke TA, Lee MM, et al. (2022) A pilot interdisciplinary falls screening and educational event: perceptions of community-dwelling older adults. Internet J Allied Health Sci Pract 20: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.46743/1540-580X/2022.2110 |
| [15] | World Health Organization (2007) WHO global report on falls prevention in older adults. Available from: https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/WHo-Global-report-on-falls-prevention-in-older-age.pdf |
| [16] | Panel of prevention of falls in older persons, American Geriatrics Society and British Geriatrics Society (2011) Summary of the updated American Geriatrics Society/British Geriatrics Society clinical practice guideline for prevention of falls in older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 59: 148-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03234.x |
| [17] | Goetzel R, Staley P, Ogden L, et al. (2011) A framework for patient-centered health risk assessments—providing health promotion and disease prevention services to Medicare beneficiaries. Available from: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/23365 |
| [18] |
Grossman DC, Curry SJ, Owens DK, et al. (2018) Interventions to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults: US preventive services task force recommendation statement. JAMA 319: 1696-1704. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.3097
|
| [19] | National Council on Aging, Evidence-based falls prevention programs. Arlington National Council on Aging, 2021. Available from: https://ncoa.org/article/evidence-based-falls-prevention-programs. Updated 2021 Jan 10, cited 2023 Jan 15 |
| [20] |
Rubenstein LZ, Vivrette R, Harker JO, et al. (2011) Validating an evidence-based, self-rated fall risk questionnaire (FRQ) for older adults. J Safety Res 42: 493-499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2011.08.006
|
| [21] | Mathias S, Nayak US, Isaacs B (1986) Balance in elderly patients: the “Get-Up and Go” test. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 67: 387-389. |
| [22] |
Norin E, Rosendahl E, Lundin-Olsson L (2006) Timed “Up & Go” test: reliability in older people dependent in activities of daily living—focus on cognitive state. Phys Ther 86: 646-655. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/86.5.646
|
| [23] |
Barry E, Galvin R, Keogh C, et al. (2014) Is the Timed Up and Go test a useful predictor of risk of falls in community dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr 14: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-14-14
|
| [24] |
Rikli RE, Jones CJ (1999) Functional fitness normative scores for community-residing older adults ages 60–94. J Aging Phys Act 7: 162-181. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.7.2.162
|
| [25] |
Yang R, Jensen FB, Edelman LS, et al. (2023) “Being careful”: how much caution is enough? The relational context of fear of older adult falling in older adult-family caregiver dyads. Geriatr Nurs 51: 129-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.03.001
|
| [26] |
Pohl P, Sandlund M, Ahlgren C, et al. (2015) Fall risk awareness and safety precautions taken by older community-dwelling women and men—a qualitative study using focus group discussions. PLoS One 10: e0119630. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119630
|
| [27] |
Ness KK, Gurney JG, Wall MM, et al. (2004) Screening for risk of falling in community-dwelling elderly people may increase fear of falling. J Geriatr Phys Ther 27: 100-104. https://doi.org/10.1519/00139143-200412000-00005
|
| [28] |
Landers MR, Haller AM, Aldaco A, et al. (2024) The psychometric properties of the modified fear of falling avoidance behavior questionnaire in Parkinson's disease and older adults. Arch Physiother 14: 11-19. https://doi.org/10.33393/aop.2024.2702
|
| [29] |
Rider JV, Longhurst JK, Lekhak N, et al. (2022) Fear of falling avoidance behavior assessment and intervention in Parkinson's disease: a scoping review. Res Rev Parkinsonsm 12: 1-17. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPRLS.S350890
|
| [30] |
Keadle SK, McKinnon R, Graubard BI, et al. (2016) Prevalence and trends in physical activity among older adults in the United States: a comparison across three national surveys. Prev Med 89: 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.05.009
|
| [31] |
Sherrington C, Fairhall N, Kwok W, et al. (2020) Evidence on physical activity and falls prevention for people aged 65+ years: systematic review to inform the WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 17: 144. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-01041-3
|
| [32] |
Emmerson KB, Harding KE, Taylor NF (2019) Providing exercise instructions using multimedia may improve adherence but not patient outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil 33: 607-618. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215518819706
|
| [33] | Hopewell S, Adedire O, Copsey BJ, et al. (2018) Multifactorial and multiple component interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 7: CD012221. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012221.pub2 |
| [34] |
Lee SH, Yu S (2020) Effectiveness of multifactorial interventions in preventing falls among older adults in the community: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Nur Stud 106: 103564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103564
|
| [35] |
Montero-Odasso M, van der Velde N, Martin FC, et al. (2022) World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative. Age Ageing 51: afac205. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac205
|
| [36] |
Middleton KR, Anton SD, Perri MG (2013) Long-term adherence to health behavior change. Am J Lifestyle Med 7: 395-404. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827613488867
|
John V. Rider, Shannon Martin, Erin Vieira. Do older adults take action to reduce fall risk after attending a community-based fall risk screening?[J]. AIMS Medical Science, 2024, 11(4): 464-479. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2024032
DownLoad: