Older Adults' Perceptions of Their Fall Risk and Prevention Strategies After Transitioning from Hospital to Home

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing
• Public Health

Background:

• Falls are a significant risk for older adults after hospital discharge.
• Existing fall prevention programs are not optimized for the transition home.
• Older adults at high risk for falls require targeted interventions during this critical period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore older adults' perceptions of fall risk and prevention strategies.
• To understand their knowledge and opinions regarding existing fall prevention materials.
• To inform the development of effective transitional fall prevention programs for recently discharged older adults.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving nine older adults recently discharged home after hospitalization.
• Participants were identified as being at risk of falls.
• Data collected through interviews exploring perceptions, knowledge, and opinions on fall prevention.
• Analysis employed the constant comparative method to identify key themes.

Main Results:

• Five major themes emerged: sedentary behaviors, prioritizing social life, low perceived risk attributed to external factors, avoidance/caution as prevention, and insufficient transitional information.
• Participants demonstrated limited awareness and engagement with effective fall prevention strategies.
• A gap exists in tailored information provided during the hospital-to-home transition.

Conclusions:

• Limited engagement with fall prevention post-discharge increases risks for older adults.
• Tailored transitional fall prevention programs are needed to enhance patient engagement.
• Such programs can improve well-being, independence, and connect hospital and community care.