Feasibility of Motivational Interviewing to Engage Older Inpatients in Fall Prevention: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Impact of Documented Fall-Risk, Self-Reported Health and Confidence to Prevent Falls on Concern About Falling Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Purpose

Individuals identified as high fall risk are expected to have high concern about falling. However, perception and individual factors that influence concern about falling have yet to be thoroughly studied. We aimed to understand factors that influence concern about falling among older adults with increased risk for falling.

Patients and Methods

This was a secondary analysis of a clinical trial among community-dwelling older adults (age ≥65 years old) at high risk for falls (n = 178). Descriptive and regression analyses were used. We analyzed the relationship between participants' baseline concern about falling - categorized into three groups: low (7-8), moderate (9-13), and high (≥14) - and factors that may impact their concern. Exploratory factors included age, sex, self-reported health status and confidence to address fall risks, fall risk scores, and physical performance measures.

Results

Among these individuals, 15.2% reported low concern about falling. On average, individuals in higher concern about falling groups had higher fall risk scores (low [5.7], moderate [6.4], and high [8.0]; p < 0.001). Our regression model showed that the odds of being in a higher concern group increased by 21% for every one unit increase in fall risk score and increased by 67% for every one unit increase toward poorer health rating. Conversely, for every one unit increase in self-reported confidence, the odds of being in a higher concern group decreased by 27.5%.

Conclusion

Knowledge of older adults' fall risk, health status, and concerns about falling can be used to assist in the personalization of fall prevention interventions for a more holistic approach.

Preventing hospital falls: feasibility of care workforce redesign to optimise patient falls education

OBJECTIVE

To examine the feasibility of using allied health assistants to deliver patient falls prevention education within 48 h after hospital admission.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Feasibility study with hospital patients randomly allocated to usual care or usual care plus additional patient falls prevention education delivered by supervised allied health assistants using an evidence-based scripted conversation and educational pamphlet.

PARTICIPANTS

(i) allied health assistants and (ii) patients admitted to participating hospital wards over a 20-week period.

OUTCOMES

(i) feasibility of allied health assistant delivery of patient education; (ii) hospital falls per 1,000 bed days; (iii) injurious falls; (iv) number of falls requiring transfer to an acute medical facility.

RESULTS

541 patients participated (median age 81 years); 270 control group and 271 experimental group. Allied health assistants (n = 12) delivered scripted education sessions to 254 patients in the experimental group, 97% within 24 h after admission. There were 32 falls in the control group and 22 in the experimental group. The falls rate was 8.07 falls per 1,000 bed days in the control group and 5.69 falls per 1,000 bed days for the experimental group (incidence rate ratio = 0.66 (95% CI 0.32, 1.36; P = 0.26)). There were 2.02 injurious falls per 1,000 bed days for the control group and 1.03 for the experimental group. Nine falls (7 control, 2 experimental) required transfer to an acute facility. No adverse events were attributable to the experimental group intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

It is feasible and of benefit to supplement usual care with patient education delivered by allied health assistants.

Motivational Interviewing for Fall Prevention (MI-FP) pilot study: Older Adults' readiness to participate in fall prevention

Older adults' readiness to participate in fall prevention behaviors is largely unknown. We evaluated the feasibility of recruitment for a fall prevention intervention and participants' readiness to participate in fall prevention activities. Patients ≥ 65 years at high fall risk were recruited. Feasibility of recruitment was assessed by reaching the goal sample size (200), and recruitment rate (50%). Surveys assessed participants' readiness to participate in fall prevention activities (confidence to manage fall risks [0-10 scale; 10 most confident] and adherence to fall prevention recommendations). We recruited 200 patients (46.3% of eligible patients), and 185 completed surveys. Participants reported high confidence (range 7.48 to 8.23) in addressing their risks. Their adherence to clinician recommendations was mixed (36.4% to 90.5%). We nearly met our recruitment goals, and found that older adults are confident to address their fall risks, but do not consistently engage in fall prevention recommendations.

Patients' experience with a community pharmacy fall prevention service

Background

Pharmacists can contribute to fall prevention, by offering services such as fall risk screenings, counselling, and medication reviews. Patient acceptance of the role of pharmacists in fall prevention is crucial.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to explore patients' experience with a community pharmacy fall prevention service.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with patients one month after they participated in a pharmacy fall prevention service, in the Netherlands. Patient inclusion criteria for the service were: age ≥ 70 years, use of ≥5 drugs including ≥1 fall risk-increasing drug. The service included a fall risk screening followed by counselling and a medication review. The semi-structured interview guide was based on the consolidated framework for implementation research and included the following topics: outcomes, patient's motivation, and contact with the pharmacy technician.

Results

Of the 91 participants of the fall prevention service, 87 patients were interviewed with a median age of 78.0 years (first quartile [Q1] - third quartile [Q3]: 74.0-84.75) and 46.3% were female. Many patients expressed positive feedback about receiving a medication review. Most patients whose medication was deprescribed expressed to be positive about this. Others were reassured about the appropriateness of their medication use. Patients reported that the service enhanced their awareness about fall prevention. Only a few patients were motivated to adapt their lifestyle. Patients appreciated the attention and contact.

Conclusions

Patients see a potential benefit for a community pharmacy falls prevention service, including a medication review. Patient education appeared to enhance their fall risk awareness.

Feasibility study of student-led fall prevention care management: Reducing fall risks in assisted living facilities

Falls are common in Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs). We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of student-led Fall Prevention Care Management (FPCM) on reducing fall risks in ALFs. Residents who were age ≥65, had a fall in the previous year Or considered high fall risk at the facility, and who had a MoCA cognition score>15 were enrolled. The FPCM interventions were semi-structured to facilitate students' learning while addressing participants' unique fall risks. Twenty-five older adults in the U.S. completed the study (recruitment rate: 55%; retention rate: 64%). Participants rated the study as 87.16 (100 = excellent), and likelihood to recommend the study to others was 80.85 (100 = most likely). Participants were 84% female, mean age 88.6 years old. Fall risks such as fear of falling decreased from 16.05 to 15.12 (p = .022), fall prevention behaviors increased from 2.94 to 3.07 (p = .048), and the level of confidence to prevent falls increased from 63.38 to 78.35 (p = .015). Students commonly provided education and coaching on fall prevention strategies, and addressed emotional and behavioral aspects of fall prevention. With improvement with recruitment and retention, student-led FPCM intervention is a promising approach for fall prevention in ALF.

Implementing Falls Prevention in Primary Care: Barriers and Facilitators

Purpose

Limited information is available concerning primary care providers’ encountered barriers and facilitators when implementing falls prevention and providing interventions in a real-life setting. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators when i) implementing a falls risk assessment strategy at GP practices and among community nurses and ii) providing evidence-based falls prevention interventions in a real-life setting to independently living, frail older people.

Methods

A researcher’s journal was maintained during the implementation of a falls risk assessment strategy, which entailed notes from informal conversations with GPs, practice nurses and community nurses. After implementation, two online focus groups with GPs, practice and community nurses, physio- and exercise therapists were conducted. Data were thematically analyzed.

Results

Data were collected from 32 GPs, 13 practice nurses, eight community nurses, nine physiotherapists, and two exercise therapists. The GPs and nurses acknowledged that falls prevention is part of their job, meaningful, and that they have sufficient knowledge and skills to offer falls prevention. Collaboration, a previously implemented care program for older people, resources, reimbursement for interventions, and patients’ motivation, awareness and health issues were considered to be important factors for the implementation of falls prevention. Physio- and exercise therapists described collaboration with different disciplines, receiving sufficient referrals, reimbursements, intensity and set-up of the interventions, and patients’ motivation, expectations, goals, self-confidence, awareness, and health issues as important factors when providing falls prevention interventions.

Conclusion

This study identified care provider-, context-, patient-, and innovation (strategy)-related barriers and facilitators when implementing falls prevention and providing interventions in primary care. Development of a more successful implementation strategy should focus on intensifying collaboration, reimbursement for interventions, availability of resources, and patients’ lack of motivation and health issues. Hence, falls prevention may become more structurally applied, reducing a major threat for the quality of life of independently living older people.

Older Adults' Biobehavioral Fall Risks Were Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned for Future Fall Prevention Research to Incorporate Multilevel Perspectives

Background and Objectives

Examining the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on fall risks may provide insight into how multilevel factors as described in National Institute of Nursing Research's (NINR's) draft strategic plan can guide future fall prevention research. This article describes the affect of COVID-19 on fall risks from the perspective of older adults who live in assisted living facilities (ALFs), and explores the needs and approaches to implement fall prevention interventions at individual, social, community, and policy levels.

Research Design and Methods

Exploratory survey study. Participants from a fall prevention study at 2 ALFs in Oregon were invited to the study. Survey questions asked about COVID experience, and changes in fall risks and day-to-day activities in Spring 2020. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Cohen's d effect sizes. Qualitative responses were analyzed using conventional content analysis.

Results

Thirteen participants (age: M = 87.08, standard deviation = 6.52) responded. More participants reported feeling unsteady compared to pre-COVID data (38% vs. 62%), while the proportion of those worried about falling remained the same at 38%. Participants reported negligible decreases in importance of fall prevention and small decreases in confidence of fall prevention (Cohen's d = -0.13 and -0.21, respectively). The themes related to the affect of COVID on fall risks were: not to worry about fall risks but be cautious and physical activity is important, but it's hard during COVID. Impact of COVID on day-to-day activities were: varying degrees of concern for COVID, lack of social and community support, and finding unique ways to cope with COVID.

Discussion and Implications

These individual-level perspectives suggest that older adults were at increased risk for falling. Results exemplify the influence of broader-level factors (e.g., social, community, and policy) on individual biobehavioral factors (e.g., fall risks and health behaviors), and illustrate the value of examining multilevel factors in future fall prevention research.

Hospital falls prevention with patient education: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Hospital falls remain a frequent and debilitating problem worldwide. Most hospital falls prevention strategies have targeted clinician education, environmental modifications, assistive devices, hospital systems and medication reviews. The role that patients can play in preventing falls whilst in hospital has received less attention. This critical review scopes patient falls education interventions for hospitals. The quality of the educational designs under-pinning patient falls education programmes was also evaluated. The outcomes of patient-centred falls prevention programs were considered for a range of hospital settings and diagnoses.

METHODS

The Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework for scoping reviews was adapted using Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Eight databases, including grey literature, were searched from January 2008 until February 2020. Two reviewers independently screened the articles and data were extracted and summarised thematically. The quality of falls prevention education programs for patients was also appraised using a modified quality metric tool.

RESULTS

Forty-three articles were included in the final analysis. The interventions included: (i) direct face-to-face patient education about falls risks and mitigation; (ii) educational tools; (iii) patient-focussed consumer materials such as pamphlets, brochures and handouts; and (iv) hospital systems, policies and procedures to assist patients to prevent falls. The included studies assessed falls or education related outcomes before and after patient falls prevention education. Few studies reported incorporating education design principles or educational theories. When reported, most educational programs were of low to moderate quality from an educational design perspective.

CONCLUSIONS

There is emerging evidence that hospital falls prevention interventions that incorporate patient education can reduce falls and associated injuries such as bruising, lacerations or fractures. The design, mode of delivery and quality of educational design influence outcomes. Well-designed education programs can improve knowledge and self-perception of risk, empowering patients to reduce their risk of falling whilst in hospital.