Does a Falls Prevention Program Impact Perceived Participation in Everyday Occupations? A Pilot Randomized Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Therapy
• Public Health

Background:

• Falls are a significant risk for community-dwelling older adults, impacting their independence.
• Participation and autonomy in daily activities are crucial for the well-being of older adults.
• Existing fall prevention programs may not fully address the subjective experiences of participants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a multi-disciplinary, client-centered fall prevention program.
• To assess the program's impact on participation and autonomy in everyday occupations.
• To explore the subjective experiences of community-dwelling older adults in a fall prevention intervention.

Main Methods:

• 131 community-dwelling older adults (65+) were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group.
• An intention-to-treat analysis was employed to evaluate the program's effectiveness.
• The study focused on subjective experiences of participation and autonomy in daily life.

Main Results:

• The fall prevention program demonstrated limited effectiveness on subjective participation and autonomy.
• A trend towards increased perceived participation was observed in the intervention group.
• Participants in the intervention group showed a trend of fewer perceived problems with participation.

Conclusions:

• Subjective experiences of participation and autonomy are individual and complex.
• Fall prevention interventions' impact requires assessment using both subjective and objective measures.
• Further research is needed to refine fall prevention strategies for enhanced participation and autonomy.