Fall Prevention Assessment Education in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background and Significance Falls are considered a problem of increasing proportion for older adults all over the world. Falls account for a large portion of injuries, hospitalizations, and death for persons over 65 years old. Research shows that risk factors for falls are multifactorial and modifiable. As such, falls should not be recognized as a natural part of aging, but as an increasing characteristic of frailty. Patient and caregiver education about how to identify and modify fall risk factors so that injurious falls and recurrent falls can be avoided. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted and recorded with employees and residents of an independent living facility about their history and knowledge of falls within the community. Content analysis was conducted to assess for common themes and concerns related to falls. Results Five participants, consisting of three residents living in a large HUD housing complex for older adults and two employees who work at the complex were interviewed. Results of the interview show that there is a generalized fear or awareness of the dangers of falling either in the home or within the community, but a lack of awareness of some of the risk factors. Discussion By analyzing gaps in knowledge of this housing complex, fall risk education can be tailored to their fall risk concerns and knowledge gaps and possibly help to reduce future falls for older adults. Keywords: community dwelling, older adults, fall risk