title: Impact of falls on mental health outcomes for older adult mental health patients: An Australian study.
abstract: Sustaining a fall during hospitalization reduces a patient's ability to return home following discharge. It is well accepted that factors, such as alteration in balance, functional mobility, muscle strength, and fear of falling, are all factors that impact on the quality of life of elderly people following a fall. However, the impact that falls have on mental health outcomes in older adult mental health patients remains unexplored. The present study reports Health of the Nation Outcome Scale scores for people over the age of 65 (HoNOS65+), which were examined in a cohort of 65 patients who sustained a fall and 73 non-fallers admitted to an older adult mental health service (OAMHS). Results were compared with state and national HoNOS65+ data recorded in Australian National Outcome Casemix Collection data to explore the effect that sustaining a fall while hospitalized has on mental health outcomes. Australian state and national HoNOS65+ data indicate that older adults generally experience improved HoNOS65+ scores from admission to discharge. Mental health outcomes for patients who sustained a fall while admitted to an OAMHS did not follow this trend. Sustaining a fall while admitted to an OAMHS negatively affects discharge mental health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Royal Perth Hospital.|School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University.
authors.forename: Karen Ruth
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Heslop
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University.|Fremantle Mental Health Services Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Dianne Gaye
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Wynaden
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Health of the Nation Outcome Scale scores; National Outcome Casemix Collection; falls; mental health outcomes; older adult mental health service