An Interdisciplinary Falls Screening and Educational Event for Community-Dwelling Older Adults

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived value of an interdisciplinary falls screening and educational event offered to older adults living in the community. The research questions were, Did the participants perceive this interdisciplinary screening and educational event as being valuable and effective? Did the participants feel that this event improved their knowledge related to falls prevention? Falls are the leading cause of death and disability among people aged 65 and older (Burns et al., 2016), and the socioeconomic consequences of falls and their impact on occupational performance and independence are substantial. Evidence suggests that falls are multifactorial and can be prevented by screenings and implementation of client-specific interventions (Eliot et al., 2012).

METHOD: This descriptive study used quantitative data and qualitative comments gathered via questionnaires at the conclusion of an interdisciplinary screening and educational event. Participants were community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older recruited by flyers posted at a variety of local venues (e.g., libraries, senior centers). A team of interdisciplinary faculty experts and researchers developed and revised the questionnaires until consensus was met. Face and content validity were enhanced by using the literature to inform decisions. This study was approved by the university’s institutional review board.

Practitioners from occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral medicine, optometry, family medicine, and pharmacy individually screened participants using a variety of discipline-focused falls risk screening tools. Individualized recommendations were provided to each participant in verbal and written formats. All participants chose to complete the questionnaires at the conclusion of the event. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data regarding participants’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary event and its perceived impact on fall prevention.

RESULTS: There were 24 participants in this study (M age = 72.8, range = 67–83). The majority found the event to be very or extremely valuable (87.5%), enjoyable (100%), and easily understandable (100%). Participants’ mean scores on a scale of 1–10 (1 = not at all, 10 = completely) were 8.5 for improvement in knowledge of falls, 8.46 for confidence in preventing falls, 8.67 for likelihood of implementing recommendations, and 7.09 for decreased fear of falling. The qualitative comments were positive and supported the quantitative findings.

CONCLUSION: This event provided comprehensive screening and education regarding multifactorial falls risks in which participants individually saw each practitioner in one location on the same day. The results suggest that the participants found this event improved their knowledge regarding falls and their confidence in being able to prevent falls. Participants also reported decreased fear of falling after the event. This study suggests that interdisciplinary screening and educational events may enhance knowledge of falls, increase confidence in preventing falls, and decrease fear of falling. This study builds on current evidence indicating that the most successful falls prevention initiatives use a multifaceted approach.

IMPACT STATEMENT: This study highlights the importance of occupational therapy’s role as part of interdisciplinary teams to address falls risk. The results support the value of interdisciplinary falls screening teams to increase knowledge, enhance prevention, and decrease fear of falling.

References

Burns, E. R., Stevens, J. A., & Lee, R. (2016). The direct costs of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults—United States. Journal of Safety Research, 58, 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2016.05.001

Eliot, S. J., Ivanescu, A., Leland, N. E., Fogo, J., Painter, J. A., & Trujillo, L. G. (2012). Feasibility of interdisciplinary community-based fall risk screening. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 161–168. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2012.002444