Characteristics of falls and recurrent falls in residents of an aging in place community: A case-control study.

Background: Falls and fall-related injuries remain an ongoing and serious health problem in older adults. Many clinical and environmental factors have been implicated in falls and recurrent falls, including sleep disturbances, sensory deficits, balance problems, incontinence, comorbid conditions, and certain categories of medications. We undertook this study to determine if there was an association between these factors and falls or recurrent falls in older adult residents of an aging in place community.

Methods: Our retrospective case-control study compared residents who did and did not fall in an aging in place community, as well as those who experienced recurrent versus single falls in a single year.

Results: A total of 50 residents met the criteria for inclusion in this study, with 30 participants (60%) having experienced one or more falls during the observation period. Of the 30 participants who fell, 21 (70%) experienced more than one fall in a single year. Variables associated with falls included marital status and bowel incontinence; variables associated with recurrent falls included self-reported sleep difficulty, balance with sitting to standing and surface-to-surface transfer, use of a walker, and use of antidepressant medications.

Discussion: Our study supports the existing nursing research that falls, and recurrent falls are the result of multiple, interrelated factors. Further research is needed into preventative measures for both falls and recurrent falls, particularly in the context of aging in place.