Development and validation of fall risk screening tools for use in residential aged care facilities.
OBJECTIVE
To develop screening tools for predicting falls in nursing home and intermediate-care hostel residents who can and cannot stand unaided.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study in residential aged care facilities in northern Sydney, New South Wales, June 1999-June 2003.


METHODS
2005 people aged 65-104 years (mean +/- SD, 85.7+/-7.1 years).


METHODS
Demographic, health, and physical function assessment measures; number of falls over a 6-month period; validity of the screening models.


RESULTS
Ability to stand unaided was identified as a significant event modifier for falls. In people who could stand unaided, having either poor balance or two of three other risk factors (previous falls, nursing home residence, and urinary incontinence) increased the risk of falling in the next 6 months threefold (sensitivity, 73%; specificity, 55%). In people who could not stand unaided, having any one of three risk factors (previous falls, hostel residence, and using nine or more medications) increased the risk of falling twofold (sensitivity, 87%; specificity, 29%).


CONCLUSIONS
These two screening models are useful for identifying older people living in residential aged care facilities who are at increased risk of falls. The screens are easy to administer and contain items that are routinely collected in residential aged care facilities in Australia.
Delbaere
Kim
K
Falls and Balance Research Group, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
Close
Jacqueline C T
JC
Menz
Hylton B
HB
Cumming
Robert G
RG
Cameron
Ian D
ID
Sambrook
Philip N
PN
March
Lyn M
LM
Lord
Stephen R
SR
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity