Fall Risk Management in Nursing Homes: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Nursing Science

Background:

• Population aging presents significant public health challenges, with falls being a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults.
• Nursing homes face exacerbated fall risks due to physical, cognitive, and environmental factors, necessitating effective prevention strategies.
• Current actionable interventions for fall risk in nursing homes require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the existing evidence on interventions for fall risk management in institutionalized older adults.
• To highlight key strategies including assessment, exercise, environmental modifications, and educational programs.
• To identify gaps in current research and practice for nursing home fall prevention.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted following JBI guidelines.
• Searches were performed across major databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science) for studies published between 2019 and 2024.
• Included studies focused on nursing interventions for fall risk management in adults aged 65+ residing in nursing homes.

Main Results:

• 18 studies met the inclusion criteria from an initial 1146 records.
• Effective interventions included validated fall risk assessments (e.g., TUG, BBS, Morse Fall Scale).
• Exercise programs (e.g., Otago, multicomponent training), environmental modifications, and educational initiatives demonstrated positive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Effective fall risk management in nursing homes necessitates an integrated, multidisciplinary, and person-centered approach.
• Nurses are pivotal in the assessment, coordination, and implementation of fall prevention interventions.
• Gaps exist in standardizing assessment tools, validating them for institutional contexts, and evaluating long-term outcomes.