The Effectiveness of a Fall Prevention Program

One intervention that has proved successful in improving ADL performance is providing environmental supports such as home modifications. By using environmental support to compensate for the intrinsic limitations this population experiences, ADL and instrumental ADL (IADL) performance can be maximized. In studies of fall causes, environmental features are often identified as an important contributing factor. It is possible that home modifications could be an effective intervention strategy to reduce functional decline, fear of falling, and the incidence falls among older adults with ADL/IADL dysfunction. The consequences of falls in the elderly are a serious public health concern. Older adults who visit an ED as a result of a fall and are discharged home represent an underserved group at great risk for a future fall. The model of screening for older adults at risk for recurrent falls in the ED and initiating interventions is a potentially cost-effective strategy with broad public health implications. Intensive home modifications are an appealing intervention, with high adherence rates and efficacy in improving ADL performance and reducing the rate of falls. There is a need for studies of home modifications. We will conduct a blinded, randomized, sham-controlled pilot trial to estimate the efficacy of an intensive tailored environmental intervention to reduce functional decline among community-dwelling older adults who visit the ED because of a fall. We will also gather the data necessary to design a definitive double-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial to determine the efficacy of an intensive tailored environmental intervention to reduce the cumulative incidence of falls in this population. Older adults who visit the ED or contact emergency medical services (EMS)as a result of a fall at home will be randomly assigned to a sham-control or intervention group. The intervention will be delivered via a standardized tailored protocol. Blinded assessments will be conducted of participants' performance before intervention, 6 months after intervention, and 12 months after intervention. Participants will be blinded to treatment group assignment. Upon intervention completion, we will monitor ADL status and falls monthly for 12 months to determine the effect of this intervention over time. Study participants and raters will be blinded to their randomization assignment. The outcome of the study will be masked as improvement in ADL status. This study will be conducted in two phases. Consent and enrollment, evaluation, intervention, and follow-up procedures are the same for both phases of the study. The same measures will be used for both phases of the study.