title: Development and validation of fall risk screening tools for use in residential aged care facilities.
abstract: 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.
authors: Falls and Balance Research Group, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Delbaere
authors: Jacqueline C T
authors: JC
authors: Close
authors: Hylton B
authors: HB
authors: Menz
authors: Robert G
authors: RG
authors: Cumming
authors: Ian D
authors: ID
authors: Cameron
authors: Philip N
authors: PN
authors: Sambrook
authors: Lyn M
authors: LM
authors: March
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Lord
mesh_terms: 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