A Cross-Sectional Study of the Prevalence, Correlates, and Costs of Falls in Older Home Care Clients ‘At Risk’ for Falling

Cognitive Frailty as a Predictor of Future Falls in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between cognitive frailty and the risk of future falls among older adults.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Older people aged ≥60 years with cognitive frailty from community, hospital, or both.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Wanfang Database, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Weipu Database (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) were searched for relevant studies published from the inception of the database until June 14, 2022. Stata 16.0 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. A random effects model was used to pool the prevalence of falls in older adults over age 60 years with cognitive frailty and the strength of the association between cognitive frailty and falls [odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs]. Quality assessment, heterogeneity, and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. A study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022331323).

RESULTS

The review included 18 studies in qualitative synthesis, 14 of which were in meta-analysis. Eleven sets of cross-sectional data involving 23,025 participants and 5 sets of longitudinal data involving 11,924 participants were used in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the overall prevalence of falls in 1742 people with cognitive frailty was 36.3% (95% CI 27.9-44.8, I² = 93.4%). Longitudinal study results showed that cognitively frail individuals had a higher risk of falls (OR 3.02, 95% CI 2.11-4.32, I² = 0.0%, P = .406), compared to robust participants without cognitive impairment; physically frail people (alone) had a moderate risk of falls (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.42-3.30, I² = 9.7%, P = .351); cognitively impaired people (alone) had a lower risk of falls (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.03-1.79, I² = 0.0%, P = .440). Among cross-sectional studies, cognitive frailty was associated with the risk of falls (OR 2.74, 95% CI 2.20-3.40, I² = 53.1%, P = .019). Although high heterogeneity was noted among 11 cross-sectional studies reporting ORs, the sensitivity analysis showed that no single study significantly affected the final pooled results.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis confirms the findings that cognitive frailty was demonstrated to be a significant predictor of future falls in older adults. However, further prospective investigations are warranted.

Characteristics of older Australian community aged care clients who fall: Incidents reported by care staff

Falls are the leading cause of injury and hospitalisation for older adults (aged 65 years or older) worldwide. Data collected by community aged care providers are an underutilised source of information about precipitating risk factors and consequences of falls for older adults living in the community. The objective of this longitudinal, observational study was to describe and compare the characteristics of older Australians who did and did not have falls reported by community aged care staff. We analysed 19 months of routinely collected care management and incident data for 1,596 older clients from a large Australian community care provider. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics, care needs and community care service use were compared between those who had one or more reported falls and those who had none. Fall-related outcomes (injuries, hospitalisations, relocation to residential aged care) were examined. The average age of clients was 82 years and most were women (66%). Seventy-seven (4.8%) clients had one or more reported falls over the study period (total falls = 92). Clients who had falls reported by care staff were more likely to be older adults, male and use more hours of community care services per week. There were 38 falls-related injuries, 5 falls-related hospitalisations and 20 clients relocated to residential aged care after a reported fall. This study demonstrates the potential for using routinely collected community aged care data to understand risk factors and monitor longitudinal outcomes for a population at high risk of falls.

Fall prevention in community-dwelling adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cognitive impairment (CI) increases an individual's risk of falls due to the role cognition plays in gait control. Older adults with dementia fall 2-3 times more than cognitively healthy older adults and 60-80% of people with dementia fall annually. Practitioners require evidence-based fall prevention best practices to reduce the risk of falls in cognitively impaired adults living in the community.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the effectiveness of primary and secondary fall prevention interventions in reducing falls and fear of falling, and improving gait, balance, and functional mobility. We searched 7 databases for fall prevention interventions involving community-dwelling adults ≥50 years with mild to moderate CI. Reviewers screened citations, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias and certainty of evidence (GRADE). We assessed statistical and methodological heterogeneity and performed a meta-analysis of studies including subgroup analysis based on intervention and risk of bias groupings.

RESULTS

Five hundred nine community-dwelling adults (mean age 67.5 to 84.0 years) with mild to moderate CI from 12 randomized or clinical controlled trials (RCTs/CCTs) were included in this review. Eight studies were exercise interventions, 3 were multifactorial, and 1 provided medication treatment. Fall prevention interventions had significant effects of medium magnitude on fear of falling (standardized mean difference (SMD) -0.73 [- 1.10, - 0.36]), balance (SMD 0.66 [0.19, 1.12]), and functional mobility measured as Timed Up and Go test (SMD -0.56 [- 0.94, - 0.17]) and significant effects of small magnitude on gait control (SMD 0.26 [0.08, 0.43]) all with moderate certainty of evidence. The meta-analysis showed no significant effects for falls (number of events or falls incidence). Sub-analysis showed that exercise and low risk of bias studies remained significant for balance and perceived risk of falls.

CONCLUSION

The effect of fall prevention interventions on direct outcomes, such as falls, remains unclear in cognitively impaired individuals. Exercise interventions are effective at improving fall risk factors, however, high quality studies with longer follow-up and adequate sample sizes are needed to determine their effectiveness on falls directly. There remains a gap in terms of effective fall prevention interventions for older adults with CI.

Applying the RE-AIM implementation framework to evaluate fall prevention interventions in community dwelling adults with cognitive impairment: a review and secondary analysis

BACKGROUND

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a risk factor for falls due to environmental or living settings, balance, gait and vision impairments, as well as medications. While previous systematic reviews have focused on the effectiveness of fall prevention programs in adults with cognitive impairment, very limited information is available on their implementation. This review examines what aspects of fall prevention interventions for community-dwelling adults with CI have been reported using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to support successful implementation.

METHODS

We examined the included studies from our systematic review, which searched 7 databases for primary and secondary fall prevention interventions involving community-dwelling adults ≥50 years with mild to moderate CI. Reviewers screened citations and extracted data for study characteristics and the 5 dimensions (62 criteria) of the RE-AIM framework.

RESULTS

Twelve randomized or clinical controlled trials (RCTs/CCTs) consisting of 8 exercise interventions, 3 multifactorial interventions, and 1 medication treatment were included in the review. Only 4 of 62 criteria were reported by all 12 included studies and 29 criteria were not reported by any of the studies. Five of the included studies reported on 20 or more of the 62 possible RE-AIM criteria and 3 of these studies self-identified as "feasibility" studies. While Reach was the best-reported construct by the included studies, followed by Effectiveness and Implementation, the criteria within the Adoption and Maintenance constructs were rarely mentioned by these studies. In general, there was also wide variation in how each of the criteria were reported on by study authors.

CONCLUSION

Based on the reporting of RE-AIM components in this review, we are unable to make connections to successful intervention components and thus practice-based recommendations for fall prevention in those with CI. The lack of detail regarding implementation approaches greatly limits the interpretation and comparisons across studies to fully inform future research efforts.

Disability on performing daily living activities in the elderly and history of falls: an analysis of the National Health Survey, 2013

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to verify the association between types of dependence for basic and instrumental activities of daily living and the occurrence of falls in the elderly.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, population-based study using data from 23,815 elderly people drawn from the National Health Survey (NHS) in 2013. The NHS, conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the Ministry of Health, presents data collected in 81,767 households in more than 1,600 municipalities. The association between the independent variable (ADL disabilities) and the dependent variable (history of falls) was performed through multiple and crude analyses, regression.

RESULTS

There was a greater association between using the toilet and transfers (ABVD) and falls, and between shopping and taking care of finances (IADL) and falls. In addition, the association between Basic Activities of Daily Living and falls was greater for up to four activities, and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living for up to three activities.

CONCLUSION

Thus, the results obtained in the NHS reinforce the planning of preventive strategies considering the functional dependence.

A need to improve the assessment of environmental hazards for falls on stairs and in bathrooms: results of a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Falls occurring on stairs or in bathrooms are associated with a high risk of injuries among older adults. Home environmental assessments are frequently used to guide fall-prevention interventions. The aims of this review were to describe how, where, by whom, and for whom environmental hazard checklists are used, and to examine the characteristics of environmental hazard assessment checklists with specific attention to features of bathrooms and stairs/steps assessed in them.

METHODS

Studies published before January 5, 2018, were identified using several databases. Publications reporting the use and/or evaluation of environmental hazard checklists were eligible if they assessed bathrooms or stairs/steps in homes of older adults (≥65 years). Content analysis was conducted on publications that provided a complete list of specific environmental hazards assessed. Checklist items related to bathrooms and stairs/steps were extracted and categorized as structural or non-structural and as objective or subjective.

RESULTS

1119 studies were appraised. A pool of 136 published articles and 4 checklists from the grey literature were included in this scoping review. Content analysis was conducted on 42 unique checklists. There was no widely used checklist and no obvious consensus definition of either environmental hazards overall or of single hazards listed in checklists. Checklists varied greatly with respect to what rooms were assessed, whether or not outdoor stair/steps hazards were assessed, and how responses were coded. Few checklists examined person-environment fit. The majority of checklists were not oriented towards structural hazards in bathrooms. Although the majority of checklists assessing stair/steps hazards evaluated structural hazards, most features assessed were not related to the construction geometry of stairs/steps. Objective features of bathrooms and stairs/steps that would deem them safe were rarely specified. Rather, adequacy of their characteristics was mostly subjectively determined by the evaluator with little or no guidance or training.

CONCLUSION

The lack of standard definitions and objective criteria for assessing environmental hazards for falls is limiting meaningful cross-study comparisons and slowing advances in this field. To inform population health interventions aimed at preventing falls, such as building code regulations or municipal housing by-laws, it is essential to include objectively-assessed structural hazards in environmental checklists.

Can Dual Task Walking Improve in Parkinson's Disease After External Focus of Attention Exercise? A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

It may be possible to use attention-based exercise to decrease demands associated with walking in Parkinson's disease (PD), and thus improve dual task walking ability. For example, an external focus of attention (focusing on the effect of an action on the environment) may recruit automatic control processes degenerated in PD, whereas an internal focus (limb movement) may recruit conscious (nonautomatic) control processes. Thus, we aimed to investigate how externally and internally focused exercise influences dual task walking and symptom severity in PD.

METHODS

Forty-seven participants with PD were randomized to either an Externally (n = 24) or Internally (n = 23) focused group and completed 33 one-hour attention-based exercise sessions over 11 weeks. In addition, 16 participants were part of a control group. Before, after, and 8 weeks following the program (pre/post/washout), gait patterns were measured during single and dual task walking (digit-monitoring task, ie, walking while counting numbers announced by an audio-track), and symptom severity (UPDRS-III) was assessed ON and OFF dopamine replacement. Pairwise comparisons (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) and repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted.

RESULTS

Pre to post: Dual task step time decreased in the external group (Δ = 0.02 seconds, CI 0.01-0.04). Dual task step length (Δ = 2.3 cm, CI 0.86-3.75) and velocity (Δ = 4.5 cm/s, CI 0.59-8.48) decreased (became worse) in the internal group. UPDRS-III scores (ON and OFF) decreased (improved) in only the External group. Pre to washout: Dual task step time ( P = .005) and percentage in double support ( P = .014) significantly decreased (improved) in both exercise groups, although only the internal group increased error on the secondary counting task (ie, more errors monitoring numbers). UPDRS-III scores in both exercise groups significantly decreased ( P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Since dual task walking improvements were found immediately, and 8 weeks after the cessation of an externally focused exercise program, we conclude that externally focused exercise may improve on functioning of automatic control networks in PD. Internally focused exercise hindered dual tasking ability. Overall, externally focused exercise led to greater rehabilitation benefits in dual tasking and motor symptoms compared with internally focused exercise.

Correlations between Motor Symptoms across Different Motor Tasks, Quantified via Random Forest Feature Classification in Parkinson's Disease

Background

Objective assessments of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ motor state using motion capture techniques are still rarely used in clinical practice, even though they may improve clinical management. One major obstacle relates to the large dimensionality of motor abnormalities in PD. We aimed to extract global motor performance measures covering different everyday motor tasks, as a function of a clinical intervention, i.e., deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus.

Methods

We followed a data-driven, machine-learning approach and propose performance measures that employ Random Forests with probability distributions. We applied this method to 14 PD patients with DBS switched-off or -on, and 26 healthy control subjects performing the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the Functional Reach Test (FRT), a hand coordination task, walking 10-m straight, and a 90° curve.

Results

For each motor task, a Random Forest identified a specific set of metrics that optimally separated PD off DBS from healthy subjects. We noted the highest accuracy (94.6%) for standing up. This corresponded to a sensitivity of 91.5% to detect a PD patient off DBS, and a specificity of 97.2% representing the rate of correctly identified healthy subjects. We then calculated performance measures based on these sets of metrics and applied those results to characterize symptom severity in different motor tasks. Task-specific symptom severity measures correlated significantly with each other and with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS, part III, correlation of r² = 0.79). Agreement rates between different measures ranged from 79.8 to 89.3%.

Conclusion

The close correlation of PD patients’ various motor abnormalities quantified by different, task-specific severity measures suggests that these abnormalities are only facets of the underlying one-dimensional severity of motor deficits. The identification and characterization of this underlying motor deficit may help to optimize therapeutic interventions, e.g., to “automatically” adapt DBS settings in PD patients.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a multifactorial fall prevention intervention in older home care clients at risk for falling

Background

Falls among older adults can cause serious morbidity and pose economic burdens on society. Older age is a known risk factor for falls and age has been shown to influence the effectiveness of fall prevention programs. To our knowledge, no studies have explicitly investigated whether cost-effectiveness of a multifactorial fall prevention intervention (the intervention) is influenced by age. This economic evaluation explores: 1) the cost-effectiveness of a multifactorial fall prevention intervention compared to usual care for community-dwelling adults ≥ 75 years at risk of falling in Canada; and 2) the influence of age on the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

Methods

Net benefit regression was used to examine the cost-effectiveness of the intervention with willingness-to-pay values ranging from $0–$50,000. Effects were measured as change in the number of falls, from baseline to 6-month follow-up. Costs were measured using a societal perspective. The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted for both the total sample and by age subgroups (75–84 and 85+ years).

Results

For the total sample, the intervention was not economically attractive. However, the intervention was cost-effective at higher willingness-to-pay (WTP) (≥ $25,000) for adults 75–84 years and at lower WTP (< $5,000) for adults 85+ years.

Conclusions

The cost-effectiveness of the intervention depends on age and decision makers' WTP to prevent falls. Understanding the influence of age on the cost-effectiveness of an intervention may help to target resources to those who benefit most.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00463658 (18 April 2007).

Do not confuse multidisciplinary task management in nursing homes with interprofessional care!

Problem statement Little is known about how interprofessional healthcare providers in nursing homes work together. We know that interprofessional teamwork evolves from trial and error learning and so interprofessional collaboration has to be actively taught. This study aims to gain insights in the perception of professionals towards interprofessional collaboration in nursing homes and the factors that have an impact on interprofessional collaboration. Approach A qualitative descriptive methodology using focus group interviews and additional semi-structured interviews was performed. In total three focus group sessions with healthcare providers from different disciplines were held and additionally nine semi-structured interviews were executed. A thematic analysis was performed. The transcripts were read to immerse in the data and initial ideas were noted. Both open coding (identification of primary themes) and axial coding (analysis of relationships among themes) were conducted and re-focussed into potential themes. Findings Four main themes emerge from the analysis: context, collaboration, care and experience. From the findings it seems that healthcare teams in nursing homes work as 'separated groups'. A lot of collaboration is perceived, but no common vision or responsibility sharing is found. The role description of the different disciplines does not always seem clear or is not always explicit.

CONCLUSION

In usual care the perceived interactions between professionals are called collaboration. Obviously physicians and all healthcare professionals do not work interprofessionally according to definitions from the literature. This study provided evidence of the awareness that interprofessional collaboration in usual care is situational and fragmentary organised.

The ACHRU-CPP versus usual care for older adults with type-2 diabetes and multiple chronic conditions and their family caregivers: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Many community-based self-management programs have been developed for older adults with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), bolstered by evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that T2DM can be prevented and managed through lifestyle modifications. However, the evidence for their effectiveness is contradictory and weakened by reliance on single-group designs and/or small samples. Additionally, older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) are often excluded because of recruiting and retention challenges. This paper presents a protocol for a two-armed, multisite, pragmatic, mixed-methods RCT examining the effectiveness and implementation of the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit-Community Partnership Program (ACHRU-CPP), a new 6-month interprofessional, nurse-led program to promote self-management in older adults (aged 65 years or older) with T2DM and MCC and support their caregivers (including family and friends).

METHODS/DESIGN

The study will enroll 160 participants in two Canadian provinces, Ontario and Alberta. Participants will be randomly assigned to the control (usual care) or program study arm. The program will be delivered by registered nurses (RNs) and registered dietitians (RDs) from participating diabetes education centers (Ontario) or primary care networks (Alberta) and program coordinators from partnering community-based organizations. The 6-month program includes three in-home visits, monthly group sessions, monthly team meetings for providers, and nurse-led care coordination. The primary outcome is the change in physical functioning as measured by the Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) score from the short form-12v2 health survey (SF-12). Secondary client outcomes include changes in mental functioning, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-efficacy. Caregiver outcomes include health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms. The study includes a comparison of health care service costs for the intervention and control groups, and a subgroup analysis to determine which clients benefit the most from the program. Descriptive and qualitative data will be collected to examine implementation of the program and effects on interprofessional/team collaboration.

DISCUSSION

This study will provide evidence of the effectiveness of a community-based self-management program for a complex target population. By studying both implementation and effectiveness, we hope to improve the uptake of the program within the existing community-based structures, and reduce the research-to-practice gap.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02158741 . Registered on 3 June 2014.

The Aging, Community and Health Research Unit-Community Partnership Program for older adults with type 2 diabetes and multiple chronic conditions: a feasibility study

BACKGROUND

Few studies have examined the effectiveness of community-based self-management interventions in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and multiple chronic conditions (MCC). The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility of implementation in practice (primary) and the feasibility of study methods and potential effectiveness (secondary) of the Aging, Community and Health-Community Partnership Program, a new 6-month interprofessional, nurse-led program to promote diabetes self-management in older adults (>65 years) with T2DM and MCC.

METHODS

This study used a prospective one-group pre-test/post-test design. Participants were recruited from a specialized diabetes clinic. They received a median of three in-home/clinic visits by certified diabetes educators (CDEs) and attended a median of three group wellness sessions provided by the CDEs in partnership with a community-based seniors' association. The primary outcome was the feasibility of the program (acceptability, fidelity, implementation barriers/facilitators). Secondary outcomes included the feasibility of the study methods (recruitment/retention rates and procedures, eligibility criteria, data collection and analysis methods) and potential effectiveness of the program based on 6-month changes in self-reported outcomes including self-management behavior (diet, exercise, self-monitoring), health status (quality of life, mental health), and costs of service use. Analysis of feasibility outcomes was primarily based on descriptive statistics. The potential effectiveness of the program was explored using different tests, with the results expressed using descriptive statistics and effect estimates (95 % confidence intervals).

RESULTS

In total, 45 (88 %) of 51 eligible persons consented to participate. Of these, 37 (82 %) completed the 6-month follow-up. Participants and providers viewed the program as acceptable and feasible. Participants had a higher SF-12 physical component summary score at 6 months compared with baseline (mean score difference 3.0, 95 % CI 0.2-5.8). Median costs for diabetes care increased over 6 months (reflecting inclusion of program costs), while other service costs either decreased or remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

This study offers preliminary evidence that the program was feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants and providers. Initial results suggest that the program may improve physical functioning. A randomized controlled trial is feasible, with some adaptations to the program and study methods that were identified from this feasibility study.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01880476.

Adjusting for Baseline Covariates in Net Benefit Regression: How You Adjust Matters

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The literature has shown that different baseline adjustment approaches lead to different results when examining cost and quality-adjusted life-years. To our knowledge, the concept of baseline adjustment in a net benefit (NB) regression has not been studied. The purpose of the study was to explore the impact of different baseline adjustment approaches in an NB framework on the cost effectiveness of an intervention using person-level data.

METHODS

This study used data from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of a multifactorial falls prevention intervention for older home care clients. The outcome was the number of falls at the 6-month follow-up. The cost variable was the total healthcare costs from a societal perspective. Incremental NB values were estimated using four baseline adjustment approaches: (1) the change in NB is the dependent variable; (2) the NB at follow-up is the dependent variable without adjusting for baseline values; (3) the NB at follow-up is the dependent variable adjusting for baseline NB; and (4) the NB at follow-up is also the dependent variable adjusting for baseline cost and effect separately.

RESULTS

With adjustment of baseline values (Approach 1, 3, 4), the intervention was not cost effective when compared to usual care. Conversely, without baseline adjustment (Approach 2), the intervention was cost effective if decision-makers' willingness-to-pay per fall prevented was CAN$10,000 or greater.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that different baseline adjustment approaches in a cost-effectiveness analysis can lead to different results. Future research is needed to determine the most appropriate adjustment approach in planning economic evaluation using NB regression.

Fall frequency and risk factors in patients with Parkinson's disease in Belgrade, Serbia: a cross-sectional study

AIM

The aim of the present study was to estimate fall frequency as well as demographic and clinical factors related to falling in a cohort of Serbian patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHOD

The cross-sectional study comprised 300 consecutive patients recruited at the Neurology Clinic in Belgrade, Serbia, from August 2011 to December 2012. Data were acquired though detailed interviews, while a history of falling referred to the period of 6 months before testing. After a interview related to the circumstances of the last fall sustained by PD patients, the participants were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the Hoehn and Yahr scale, the Falls Efficacy Scale and the Self-Assessment Disability Scale, New Freezing of Gait questionnaire for frequency and impact of freezing, and the Hamilton Depression and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.

RESULTS

A total of 60% of individuals reported a fall in the 6-month period before testing. Multivariate regression showed that patients with PD who had a Self-Assessment Disability Scale score of ≥56 and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale total score of ≥69 were 2.04 and 3.32 times more likely to fall, respectively (95% CI 1.10-3.79, P = 0.023 for Self-Assessment Disability Scale and 95% CI 1.83-6.00, P = 0.001 for Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale). In contrast, a decrease of risk for falling by 57% was observed among those who practiced regular physical activity before the onset of PD (95% CI 0.23-0.80, P = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

There is a strong relationship between falling and self-perceived disability, whereas previous physical exercise had a protective effect.

Association between musculoskeletal pain and trips or falls in rural Japanese community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study

AIM

The present study examined whether low back pain (LBP) and knee pain (KP) are associated with trips and falls in rural Japanese community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional survey of community-dwelling older adults was carried out in Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture, in Japan. A total of 499 men and women aged 60 years and older living in the community were recruited from 2008 to 2010. The main outcome measures were self-rated recent trip frequency and self-reported experience of falls in the past year.

RESULTS

Trips and falls presented in 44.0% and 15.9% of participants, respectively. LBP was not associated with trips, but was significantly associated with falls: severe pain versus single fall (odds ratio [OR] 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-6.03); and severe pain versus multiple falls (OR 11.09, 95% CI 2.41-51.10). KP was significantly associated with trips: mild pain versus trips (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.20-2.72); mild pain versus multiple falls (OR 4.47, 95% CI 1.21-16.50); severe pain versus trips (OR 3.83, 95% CI 1.82-8.04); and severe pain versus multiple falls (OR 7.26, 95% CI 1.51-34.86). Participants with both pain sites were associated with trips (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.45-4.12) and multiple falls (OR 10.79, 95% CI 1.33-87.19).

CONCLUSIONS

Severe LBP was associated with single and multiple falls, whereas KP was associated with trips and multiple falls, irrespective of severity of pain. In addition, participants with both pain types were associated with trips and multiple falls.

Improvements in balance in older adults engaged in a specialized home care falls prevention program

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To determine if persons older than 65 years receiving a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, or nursing interventions in their home demonstrated changes in gait/balance function after an episode of home care services.

METHODS

Charts from 11 667 persons who were at risk for falling and who were participating in an exercise program in the home were included.

STUDY DESIGN

Data were retrieved from the Outcome and Assessment Information Set, Version B, and the computerized database of physical therapist-collected outcome data. Recorded physical therapist-data may have included a neuropathic pain rating, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Performance Oriented Measurement Assessment (POMA), the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), and the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance (mCTSIB).

DATA ANALYSIS

Data were extracted by an honest broker and were analyzed. Mean (SD) change in each performance test and the percentage of participants in the total sample and in the 9 age/health condition strata that exceeded the minimum detectable change (MDC) for each gait/balance measure were described. The value of MDC95 describes the amount of true change in participant status beyond measurement error with 95% certainty.

RESULTS

The gait/balance measures demonstrated MDCs ranging between 68% and 91% for the study sample. Mean (SD) of improvement on the BBS was 12 (8) points, with 88% of all participants exceeding the BBS MDC95 value of 5 points. Mean (SD) of improvement in gait/balance performance as measured by the POMA was 8 (4) points, with 91% of all participants exceeding the POMA MDC95 value of 3 points. Among all patients, mean (SD) of improvement on the DGI was 7 (4) points with 91% of all participants exceeding the DGI MDC95 value of 2 points by discharge. At admission, the median number of mCTSIB conditions that could be completed was 1 and the median number of completed conditions on the mCTSIB increased to 3 at discharge, with 81% of all participants demonstrating improvement.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of established criteria, participants seemed to make clinically meaningful gains after the home care episode of care.

Nurse-led health promotion interventions improve quality of life in frail older home care clients: lessons learned from three randomized trials in Ontario, Canada

OBJECTIVE

This paper explores the lessons learned from a series of three randomized controlled trials that included 498 community-living frail older adults (≥65 years) using home care services in Southern Ontario, Canada. Each study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of different multi-component nurse-led health promotion and disease prevention (HPDP) interventions.

METHODS

The nurse-led HPDP interventions were 6- or 12-month multi-component and evidence-based strategies targeting known risk factors for functional decline and frailty. Across the three studies, a common approach was used to measure the change in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (SF-36) and the costs of use of health services (Health and Social Services Utilization Inventory) from baseline to the end of the intervention.

RESULTS

The main lesson learned from the three studies is that nurse-led HPDP interventions for frail older home care clients provide greater improvements in HRQOL compared with usual home care. Such approaches are highly acceptable to this population and can be implemented using existing home care resources. Nurse-led HPDP interventions should include multiple home visits, multidimensional screening and assessment, multi-component evidence-based HPDP strategies, intensive case management, inter-professional collaboration, providers with geriatric training and experience, referral to and coordination of community services, and theory use.

CONCLUSION

The results of the three trials underscore the need to reinvest in nurse-led HPDP interventions in home care to optimize HRQOL and promote ageing in place in the target population of frail older adults. More studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of additional nurse-led HPDP interventions in other contexts and settings.

Interprofessional stroke rehabilitation for stroke survivors using home care

OBJECTIVE

To compare a specialized interprofessional team approach to community-based stroke rehabilitation with usual home care for stroke survivors using home care services.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trial of 101 community-living stroke survivors (<18 months post-stroke) using home care services. Subjects were randomized to intervention (n=52) or control (n=49) groups. The intervention was a 12-month specialized, evidence-based rehabilitation strategy involving an interprofessional team. The primary outcome was change in health-related quality of life and functioning (SF-36) from baseline to 12 months. Secondary outcomes were number of strokes during the 12-month follow-up, and changes in community reintegration (RNLI), perceived social support (PRQ85-Part 2), anxiety and depressive symptoms (Kessler-10), cognitive function (SPMSQ), and costs of use of health services from baseline to 12 months.

RESULTS

A total of 82 subjects completed the 12-month follow-up. Compared with the usual care group, stroke survivors in the intervention group showed clinically important (although not statistically significant) greater improvements from baseline in mean SF-36 physical functioning score (5.87, 95% CI -3.98 to 15.7; p=0.24) and social functioning score (9.03, CI-7.50 to 25.6; p=0.28). The groups did not differ for any of the secondary effectiveness outcomes. There was a higher total per-person costs of use of health services in the intervention group compared to usual home care although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.76).

CONCLUSIONS

A 12-month specialized, interprofessional team is a feasible and acceptable approach to community-based stroke rehabilitation that produced greater improvements in quality of life compared to usual home care. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00463229.

Fall Risk Factors in Community-Dwelling Elderly Who Receive Medicaid-Supported Home- and Community-Based Care Services

Objective: This study identifies fall risk factors in an understudied population of older people who receive community-based care services. Method: Data were collected from enrollees of Ohio’s Medicaid home- and community-based waiver program (preadmission screening system providing options and resources today [PASSPORT]). A total of 23,182 participants receiving PASSPORT services in 2005/2006 was classified as fallers and nonfallers, and a variety of risk factors for falling was analyzed using logistic regressions. Results: The following factors were identified as risk factors for falling: previous fall history, older age, White race, incontinence, higher number of medications, fewer numbers of activity of daily living limitations, unsteady gait, tremor, grasping strength, and absence of supervision. Discussion: Identifying risk factors for the participants of a Medicaid home- and community-based waiver program are useful for a fall risk assessment, but it would be most helpful if the community-based care service programs incorporate measurements of known fall risk factors into their regular data collection, if not already included.