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Falls after discharge from hospital: is there a gap between older peoples’ knowledge about falls prevention strategies and the research evidence?
- Authors:
- HILL Anne-Marie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 51(5), October 2011, pp.653-662.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This study explored whether older people were prepared to engage in appropriate falls prevention strategies after discharge from hospital in Swan Districts hospital, Perth, Australia. Three hundred and thirty three older patients about to be discharged from hospital were surveyed about their knowledge regarding falls prevention strategies. Participants were asked to suggest strategies to reduce their falls risk at home after discharge, and their responses were compared with reported research evidence for falls prevention interventions. Strategies were classified into 7 categories: behavioural; support while mobilising; approach to movement; physical environment; visual; medical; and activities or exercise. Although exercise has been identified as an effective falls risk reduction strategy, only about 3% of participants suggested engaging in exercises. Falls prevention was most often conceptualised by participants as requiring one or two strategies for avoiding an accidental event, rather than engaging in sustained multiple risk reduction behaviours. Overall, patients had low levels of knowledge about appropriate falls prevention strategies. The authors concluded that health care workers should design and deliver falls prevention education programmes specifically targeted to older people discharged from hospital.
Preventing falls: how to monitor risk and intervene
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing and Residential Care, 13(2), February 2011, pp.82-84.
- Publisher:
- MA Healthcare Ltd.
- Place of publication:
- London
Highlights what care homes can do to prevent falls in their older residents. The article looks at possible risks and preventive interventions such as physical exercise.
Application of evidence-based fall-prevention strategies to culturally and linguistically diverse older adult populations in Australia
- Authors:
- PAUSENBERGER Eva, HAINES Terry P.
- Journal article citation:
- Diversity in Health and Care, 8(4), 2011, pp.225-237.
- Publisher:
- Radcliffe Publishing
Despite the fact that older people from culturally and linguistically diverse populations will become an increasing percentage of Australia's population, they are underrepresented in studies of fall prevention. This study examined perceptions regarding falls, strategies for preventing falls, barriers to participation in fall-prevention strategies, and responses to a 15-week exercise and education based fall prevention programme among a diverse group of older adults from Cambodian, Croatian, Turkish and Arabic speaking populations living in Melbourne. Pre and post-tests were designed to assess past experience of falling, daily routine, self-perceived risk of falling, self-reported awareness of interventions, strategies believed to prevent falls and barriers to using these. The participants initially had a simplistic approach, feeling that they knew how to prevent falls, and that strategies such as 'being careful' and 'using mobility supports' were the most effective means of preventing them. Following the intervention programme, they recognised the importance of exercise-based interventions, but there was no immediate change in the rate of falls or participation in activities of daily living. The authors conclude that the programme may have changed attitudes towards exercise as an effective means of preventing falls. However further research is needed to determine whether the benefits of interventions developed and tested among homogenous populations translate to these more diverse patient groups.
Telehealthcare and falls: using telehealthcare effectively in the support of people at risk of falling
- Editors:
- KERR Brian, MURRAY Ann, (eds.)
- Publisher:
- University of Stirling. Dementia Services Development Centre
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 43p.
- Place of publication:
- Stirling
As people grow older or develop certain disabilities, the risk of falling increases, and, almost as importantly, associated levels of anxiety can increase. People who are more vulnerable and dependent as a consequence of age or disability ought to have the same access to, and benefits from, the increasingly cheap and accessible technology. This book explains how telehealthcare can enable a fast response to falls, offering reassurance as well as a practical response in an emergency. It also describes how telehealthcare – that is, equipment combined with assessment, monitoring and response services – can reduce the risk of falling as part of a comprehensive individualised falls prevention and management programme. Additionally, it describes the role telehealthcare can play in providing support and reassurance to carers. In summary, this book outlines how telehealthcare can contribute to improved outcomes for people at high risk of falling. It includes sections on: definitions of telehealthcare (along with the related concepts of telecare, telehealth, assistive technology and environmental controls); the causes, consequences, prevention and management of falls; the importance of good needs and risk assessments; ethical dilemmas and how these can be resolved; how the risk of falls and the resultant harm they cause can best be reduced and managed using telehealthcare as part of a package of risk assessment, management, prevention, care and support; issues particular to carers; and case examples and an outline training programme.
Older adults’ participation in a community-based falls prevention exercise program: relationships between the easy tool, program attendance, and health outcomes
- Authors:
- SMITH Matthew Lee, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 51(6), December 2011, pp.809-821.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The Exercise Assessment Screening for You (EASY) tool was developed to encourage older people to be more physically active. This study investigated the characteristics of 2,235 older people who participated in an evidence-based falls prevention programme by their entry to EASY tool scores, associations between EASY tool responses and class completion, and influences of EASY scores and items on improvements in days limited from usual activity and unhealthy physical health days. The programme consisted of eight sessions conducted by trained lay leaders in Texas, United States. Assessments were collected at the beginning of session 1 and at the conclusion of session 8. Findings revealed that neither the composite EASY scores nor the individual items significantly influenced programme attendance. Higher EASY scores were associated with improvements in both health outcomes.
Personalised befriending support for older people
- Author:
- MULVIHILL Joe
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 12(3), October 2011, pp.180-183.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The author’s purpose is to raise awareness of the many benefits associated with older people accessing befriending services and to increase the number that are set up and commissioned. The paper contains a literature review and focuses on the results of two pilot projects. Befriending services can be used to support older people in a variety of ways: as a personalised form of care for those who may be isolated or lonely; to prevent the onset of dementia; to encourage more active lives; and to increase quality of life. Befriending services can also lead to cost saving benefits for the NHS through the early intervention and prevention of complicated health issues and through reducing dependency on its resources too. The positive results from the pilot projects suggest that befriending services should be available as an option of choice for all older people; particularly those with personal budgets.
Active ageing and prevention in the context of long-term care: rethinking concepts and practices
- Author:
- RUPPE Georg
- Publisher:
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 16p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Vienna
Relating prevention with long-term care is often thought of as something contradictory. In many countries “long-term care” and “prevention” are terms strongly associated with the ideologies of “being taken care of” and “avoidance” and are thus also often related to passivity. It generally provokes the question whether preventive or activating measures are still feasible or even existent for a person already in need of long-term care. Occasionally it is even considered sarcastic to speak of prevention or rehabilitation when long-term care has already entered the stage. The introduction to this Policy Brief explores conceptual meanings of prevention and long-term care in relation to active ageing. Some general European trends and national developments in Austria concerning long-term care as well as related measures of prevention and activation for older people are outlined in the first part of the Policy Brief. The following section critically discusses general social and health policy approaches as well as practice examples in different long-term care settings in Austria. The Policy Brief concludes with a number of recommendations for prevention and active ageing policies targeted specifically for those older people with existing long-term care needs.
HIV/AIDS interventions in an aging U.S. population
- Author:
- JACOBSON Stephanie
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 36(2), May 2011, pp.149-156.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Evidence has suggested that the HIV infection rate for adults over the age of 50 may be rising. There is therefore a need for the establishment of HIV/AIDS prevention efforts aimed at older people. This article uses an ecological perspective to review the current interventions and propose possible new HIV/AIDS prevention efforts for older adults. The ecological perspective conceptualises health behaviours as influenced by a complex system. Focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention from the ecological perspective allows the integration of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, community, and policy factors. Intrapersonal interventions using the health belief model and the precaution adoption process model may be appropriate for HIV/AIDS prevention in older adults. At the interpersonal level, communication between patients and their doctors about sexuality and HIV/AIDS can be explored. At the institutional level, HIV/AIDS testing policies can be analysed. Diffusion of innovations is appropriate at the community level. In addition, at the policy level, government interventions must be considered. An agenda for future research and interventions is proposed. The article concludes by calling social workers to be at the forefront of the effort to prevent HIV/AIDS in older adults.
My health - whose responsibility?: healthy behaviours and prophylactic drugs
- Author:
- ELWOOD Peter
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 12(1), March 2011, pp.50-55.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The preservation of health is ultimately the responsibility of each individual person. It differs fundamentally from the treatment of disease, which has been delegated to health-care professionals. In this paper the author considers certain health-care behaviours and comments on issues relevant to prophylactic medicines, including non-prescription medicines.
Technology innovation enabling falls risk assessment in a community setting
- Authors:
- SCANAILLA Cliodhna, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing International, 36(2), June 2011, pp.217-213.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
Falls risk is currently assessed in a clinical setting by expert physiotherapists, geriatricians, or occupational therapists following the occurrence of an injurious fall. Advances in technology may enabling community-based practitioners to perform tests that previously required expensive technology or expert interpretation. Gait and balance impairment is one of the most common risk factors for falls. This paper reviews the current technical and non-technical gait and balance assessments, discusses how low-cost technology can be applied to objectively administer and interpret these tests in the community, and reports on recent research where body-worn sensors have been used. It also discusses the barriers to adoption in the community and proposes ethnographic research as a method to investigate solutions to these barriers.