The latest study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis implies that a social program that assists older grownups in making home adjustments such as trying to add handrails, shower tables, and chairs, and slip-resistant substrates in the restroom, as well as bright lights and guardrails on stairways, can decrease in-home falls by well almost 40%.
It is noted in past months that seniors who are more prone to fall in the home may be in the washroom or other areas, and they suffer from severe injuries that ultimately prove fatal for them.
Programs Can Minimize Hazardous In-Home Falls By Almost 40%
Some minor changes in different areas of the home can lead to a considerable reduction in such instances and the same was the aim of this research which has shown encouraging results.
With such a fall, the goal of maintaining, effective transition whilst remaining at home goes tumbling apart for countless elderly Americans. In the United States, accidents are the primary cause of disability, accidents, and premature admission in a care home among the elderly.
“Most falls occur at home, and while removing fall hazards in the home has been shown in other countries to reduce the risk of falls, it is not the standard practice in the U.S.,” said senior author Susan Stark, Ph.D., an associate professor of occupational therapy, of neurology and of social work. “This study provides evidence that we can effectively deliver fall-prevention programs via community-based aging services networks rather than a traditional healthcare setting,”
“Often, health-care providers have limited time with patients, and fall prevention can sometimes be overlooked, especially if we don’t ask about fall risks as part of regular care,” she said.
The research, which was reported in the journal JAMA Networks Open on Aug. 31, describes a 2015-17 intervention program in St. Louis wherein physical psychologists attended older persons’ residences to evaluate fall hazards and create tailored strategies to manage them.
“We know that one-fourth to one-third of older adults fall annually and that half of these falls occur in their homes, so it makes sense that simple changes to the home will be effective in reducing falls,” Stark said.
Scientists selected 310 older individuals at higher danger of slipping in collaboration with the St. Louis Area Council on Aging, a charity organization that provides food, transport, as well as other social services.
“Providing the intervention in collaboration with the Area Agency on Aging allowed us to bring this service to the community and to reach those at high risk of falling who might not otherwise have received care,” Stark said. “We checked back in six months for a booster session to see how things are going and add additional support if needed. The intervention takes a few visits—and the cost was pretty modest.”
According to Stark’s research, a low-cost, society fall-prevention program can be well worth the effort, with every $1 invested saving roughly $2 in medical costs.
Although data exist in the home countries to support the cost-benefit of house modifications, this research indicates the efficacy of a social strategy in the US.
“Most U.S. studies have explored fall-prevention programs that partner with primary care physicians, emergency rooms or medical centers, so our partnership with a community organization is fairly unique,” Stark said.
“From a public health perspective, falls are a potentially deadly health outcome that we have the tools to prevent,” she said. “Understanding how we can efficiently deliver the intervention in the United States is an important step. I look forward to a day when fall-prevention services like those provided in this study are fully integrated into health services for older adults.”
