Intervention Reduces Falls among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

​One year after implementation of a multifactorial intervention to prevent falls among older adults living in the community, those in the intervention group had a 13% lower rate of falls, an 11% lower risk of falling, and an 18% lower risk of injurious falls than those in the active control group, reports a study in the June 2015 Health Affairs. Study participants were adults age 75 or older who had a long-term care insurance policy with one of three major insurers. Those in the intervention group received all four components of the intervention: an in-home clinical assessment performed by a nurse, customized recommendations and education based on each individual's fall risk factors, a coaching call with a nurse, and a quarterly newsletter. The clinical assessment evaluated multiple factors associated with falls, including health, physical function, falls history, the home environment, and medications.