Exploring Older Adult ED Fall Patients' Understanding of Their Fall: A Qualitative Study

Overview

Journal Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2018 Jan 11

PMID 29318085

Citations 9

Authors

Kalpana N Shankar

Devon Taylor

Caroline T Rizzo

Shan W Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: We sought to understand older patients' perspectives about their fall, fall risk factors, and attitude toward emergency department (ED) fall-prevention interventions.

Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews between July 2015 and January 2016 of community-dwelling, nondemented patients in the ED, who presented with a fall to an urban, teaching hospital. Interviews were halted once we achieve thematic saturation with the data coded and categorized into themes.

Results: Of the 63 patients interviewed, patients blamed falls on the environment, accidents, a medical condition, or themselves. Three major themes were generated: (1) patients blamed falls on a multitude of things but never acknowledged a possible multifactorial rationale, (2) patients have variable level of concerns regarding their current fall and future fall risk, and (3) patients demonstrated a range of receptiveness to ED interventions aimed at preventing falls but provided little input as to what those interventions should be.

Conclusions: Many older patients who fall do not understand their fall risk. However, based on the responses provided, older adults tend to be more receptive to intervention and more concerned about their future fall risk, making the ED an appropriate setting for intervention.

Citing Articles

Perspectives and experiences of community-dwelling older adults who experience falling: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

Jiang H, Yuan H, Tee S, Lam Nogueira O Int J Nurs Sci. 2024; 11(2):276-285.

PMID: 38707695 PMC: 11064561. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2024.03.009.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Fall Risk Questionnaire.

Alharbi A, Al Amer H, Albalwi A, Muthaffar M, Alshehre Y, Albalawi H Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(8).

PMID: 37107888 PMC: 10139053. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20085606.

Adult Inpatients' Perceptions of Their Fall Risk: A Scoping Review.

Dabkowski E, Cooper S, Duncan J, Missen K Healthcare (Basel). 2022; 10(6).

PMID: 35742046 PMC: 9222288. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10060995.

Implementing Falls Prevention in Primary Care: Barriers and Facilitators.

Meekes W, Leemrijse C, Korevaar J, Stanmore E, van de Goor L Clin Interv Aging. 2022; 17:885-902.

PMID: 35686030 PMC: 9171056. DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S354911.

Falls prevention at GP practices: a description of daily practice.

Meekes W, Leemrijse C, Weesie Y, van de Goor I, Donker G, Korevaar J BMC Fam Pract. 2021; 22(1):190.

PMID: 34548022 PMC: 8454103. DOI: 10.1186/s12875-021-01540-7.

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