Strategies to prevent falls and injuries among older adults

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

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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.

Reducing falls can help trusts improve patient experience and reduce costs

Source: NHS Improvement, 2017

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Date of publication: July 2017

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell: This report from NHS Improvement provides a picture of the scale of inpatient falls and the benefits to the NHS if the rate in hospitals was reduced. It followed the successful completion of their collaboration between 19 trusts to adopt improvement methodologies and creating a learning community to discuss changes. Results include the observation that older patients represent 77% of total falls, but 87% of total costs – reducing this group by around 25-30% could result in annual savings of up to £170m.

Length of publication: 1 page

Pilot Testing Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety)

Source: The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 2017, online

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Date of publication: June 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Patient falls during an acute hospitalization cause injury, reduced mobility, and increased costs. The laminated paper Fall TIPS Toolkit (Fall TIPS) provides clinical decision support at the bedside by linking each patient’s fall risk assessment with evidence-based interventions. Strategies were needed to integrate this evidence into clinical practice.

Length of publication: 1 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.

Dance movement therapy and falls prevention

Source: Maturitas, 2017, Vol 102 p. 1-5

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Date of publication: August 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Dance is a popular form of physical activity among older people which may improve various health outcomes in this population such as balance, gait and muscle performance. This study conducted a systematic review considering all RCTs investigating if dance can reduce falls and improve fear of falling in older adults. In two out of three RCTs, dancing improved this. However, there is a paucity of studies on dancing and falls, so the evidence is preliminary and equivocal.

Length of publication: 5 pages

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

Knowledge, behavioural practices, and experiences of outdoor fallers: implications for prevention programs

Source: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2017, Vol 72 p. 19-24

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Date of publication: September-October 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Falls prevention has been well-studied, but the focus is usually on indoor falls rather than outdoor. Older adults’ knowledge of outdoor risk factors and fall prevention practices have not been examined. This study sought to fill that gap and inform the development of a prevention program by exploring experiences of older adults.

Length of publication: 5 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.

Parkinsonian signs are a risk factor for falls

Source: Gait & Posture, 2017 p. 1-5

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Date of publication: June 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: This cohort study looked at how likely people with Parkinson’s disease were to fall compared to those without, as Parkinsonian symptoms are common in older adults and are associated with increased rates of dementia and mortality. Even adjusting for age, cognitive function and co-morbidities, those with signs were still 38% more likely to fall than those without, and those falls were also more likely to lead to injury. Parkinsonian signs are a significant and independent risk factor for falls, and early detection is essential to implement fall prevention programmes.

Length of publication: 5 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.

Depressive symptomatology and fall risk among community-dwelling older adults

Source: Social Science & Medicine, 2017, Vol 178 p. 206-213

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Date of publication: April 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Falls are common among older adults and may be related to depressive symptoms (DS). With advancing age, there is an onset of chronic conditions, sensory impairments, and activity limitations that are associated with falls and with depressive disorders. Prior cross-sectional studies have observed significant associations between DS and subsequent falls as well as between fractures and subsequent clinical depression and DS. Using sophisticated methods and a large U.S. sample, this study found larger magnitudes of effect in the DS-falls relationship than in prior studies—highlighting the risk of falls for older adults with DS.

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.

An integrative review of pediatric fall risk assessment tools

Source: Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 2017, online

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Date of publication: March 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Patient fall prevention begins with accurate risk assessment. However, sustained improvements in prevention and quality of care include use of validated fall risk assessment tools (FRATs) to identify patients at highest risk. Adult FRATs are often used to create tools for pediatric patients. However, adult FRATs do not adequately assess risk in children, and pediatric FRATs have not been found to be reliable and valid across institutions and diverse populations. This review highlights the importance of choosing a FRAT based on an institution’s identified risk factors and validating the tool for one’s own patient population.

Length of publication: 1 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.