Occupational Therapy Fall Prevention Interventions for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review.

Am J Occup Ther

Natalie E. Leland, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, and Adjunct Faculty, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University, Providence, RI.

Published: May 2019

Objective: Accidental falls among community-dwelling older adults are preventable and increase the risk of morbidity, hospitalization, and institutionalization. We updated and broadened a 2008 systematic review examining the evidence for the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions in improving fall-related outcomes, occupational performance, quality of life, and health care facility readmissions for community-dwelling older adults.

Method: We searched and analyzed literature published from 2008 to 2015 from five electronic databases.

Results: Fifty articles met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised and synthesized-37 provided Level I; 5, Level II; and 8, Level III evidence. Analysis was organized into four intervention themes: single component, multicomponent, multifactorial, and population based. Mixed evidence was found for single-component and multifactorial interventions, strong evidence was found for multicomponent interventions, and moderate evidence was found for population-based interventions.

Conclusion: These findings can inform the delivery and integration of fall prevention interventions from acute care to community discharge.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.030494DOI Listing

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