Risk analysis of falls in an assisted living community.
OBJECTIVE
A tutorial in the utilization of probabilistic risk analysis to analyze the causes of falls in the ambulatory population of an assisted living community.


METHODS
Review of 9 documented incidents of resident falls and interviews with staff regarding the probability of fall causes. A literature review was also conducted.


RESULTS
Age-related physiological changes in conjunction with medical/diseases demonstrate a higher risk of falls than age-related physiological changes alone.


CONCLUSIONS
The utilization of the fall risk model can aid in identifying the risk factors and the probability of the causes associated with documented falls to identify residents with the propensity to have a fall-related injury given a small set of data. Additional research will enhance the findings of additional fall-related causes.
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.
Lunar
L
Song
Nancy
N
Chila
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D015984:Causality; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management; D014481:United States