Student-Led Falls Prevention Program for Community-Dwelling Older Adults in a Rural Community: A Pilot Study

Introduction

A third of community-dwelling adults over the age of 65 years fall each year, making falls a significant concern for the elderly. Older people living in community-dwellings account for 73% of fall-related hospitalisations in older populations. Little is known about identifying, reaching at-risk people, and delivering these interventions in rural communities.

Objective

Our aim was two-fold.

1. To test the utility of a student-led program in identifying community-dwelling elderly people at high risk for falls in a rural and remote setting.
2. To determine client satisfaction with the falls prevention program.

Setting

Rural and remote community settings in Queensland, Australia.

Participants

Forty community-dwelling older adults from the MMM 4 and 6 regions.

Design

This pilot study utilised a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling approach. A validated falls risk self-reported checklist and a screening checklist for general practitioners were used to identify older adults at risk of falling. During the home visit, participants were assessed for their cognition, balance and home safety. A client satisfaction survey was completed via telephone 3 months following the home visits.

Results

Several risk factors for falls were identified, including unsafe use of equipment, absence of Medi alerts, insufficient supervision, lack of support, inappropriate footwear, behavioural concerns and environmental hazards. Most participants reported that the home assessment was valuable and made their homes safer.

Conclusion

An innovative student-led placement model has the potential to provide much-needed access to falls prevention services and minimise falls among community-dwelling older adults in rural and remote locations.