Falls Prevention Horizon Scanning Bulletin Volume 7 Issue 9

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Strategies to prevent falls and injuries among older adults

Source: Nursing Clinics of North America, 2017, Volume 52 no 3 p. 489-497

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: September 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Falls in older adults are the leading cause of injuries, and community-dwelling older adults should have an annual fall risk screening/assessment. This article looks at both clinical and community-based strategies from several different evidence-based programs to raise awareness in older adults in the community about falls, about increasing strength and balance, and to address the fear of falling.

Length of publication: 8 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Balance and fall risk assessments with mobile phone technology

Source: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2017, online

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: August 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: While falls are a major health concern for older adults, preventative measures can help to reduce their incidence and severity; methods for assessing balance and fall risk factors are necessary to implement preventative measures. Mobile applications are being developed to enable seniors, caregivers and clinicians to monitor risks. This systematic review assesses reviews of such apps for their accuracy, reliability and validity. Further research is needed.

Length of publication: 16 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Mobility assessments of geriatric emergency department patients: a systematic review

Source: Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: 26 July 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: The aim of this article was to determine the impact of emergency department (ED) mobility assessments for older patients on
hospitalization, return visits, future falls, and frailty.

Length of publication: 9 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

Five key factors could reduce falls in hospitals, says regulator

Source: Nursing Times

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: 21 July 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: A report on a review based on existing evidence and data which provides an overview of the scale of inpatient falls and the benefits to the NHS if the rate of falls was reduced in hospitals.

Length of publication: One page

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Accelerometer-measured moderate to vigorous physical activity and incidence rates of falls in older women

Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: 29 July 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: To examine whether moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured using accelerometry is associated with incident falls and whether associations differ according to physical function or history of falls.

Length of publication: 8 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Prevention of falls in hospital

Source: Clinical Medicine 

Follow this link for the abstract 

Date of publication:  Aug. 2017  vol 17(4) pps. 360–2

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: This study looks at how a coordinated multidisciplinary clinical team approach can reduce the incidence of inpatient falls 20–30%.

Length of publication: 3 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Public Health England publishes resource pack for falls and fracture prevention

Source: Chartered Society of Physiotherapists

Follow this link for the article

Date of publication: September 2017

Publication type: News article

In a nutshell: Public Health England has published a resource pack to accompany its falls and fracture consensus statement: supporting commissioning through prevention, published in January; the statement was developed by member organisations of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group (NFPCG) with Agile, the older people’s physiotherapy network, representing the CSP.

Length of publication: 1 page

The effects of haptic input on biomechanical and neurophysiological parameters of walking

Source: Gait and Posture, 2107, Vol 58 p. 232-239

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: October 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Walking requires sensorimotor integration to be successful. Adding haptic input via light touch or anchors has been shown to improve standing balance, but its effects on walking are not clear. This scoping review summarises the current evidence for haptic input on walking in adults. Results show that adding haptic input changes walking behaviour. In particular, there is an immediate reduction in variability of gait step parameters and whole body stability, as well as a decrease in lower limb muscle activity. However, more investigation is needed.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Does baseline depression increase the risk of unexplained and accidental falls in a cohort of community-dwelling older people? Data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

Source: Geriatric Psychiatry 

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: 4th August 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: This longitudinal study examines the relationship between baseline depression and subsequent falls, both accidental and unexplained, at 2‐year follow‐up in a cohort of community dwelling adults aged ≥50 years.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Adherence and attrition in fall prevention exercise programs for community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Source: Human Kinetics Journal 

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: August 2017

Publication type: Journal article 

In a nutshell: This study reviewed the evidence on how levels of adherence and attrition in fall prevention exercise programs may affect magnitude of effect of fall risk reduction in community-dwelling older adults.

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

A falls prevention programme to improve quality of life, physical function and falls efficacy in older people receiving home help services: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Source: BMC Health Services Research

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: 14th August 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: The primary aim of this randomised controlled trial is to examine the effect of a falls prevention programme on quality of life, physical function and falls efficacy in older adults receiving home help services. A secondary aim is to explore the mediating factors between falls prevention and health-related quality of life.

Length of publication: 9 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

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