Acute health status and its relationship to falls in the nursing home

1. Falls represent a major health threat to the elderly, often resulting in injury, disability and/or death. 2. A significant association between acute changes in health status and falling was revealed in this study over 1-month, 2-month and alternating time periods. 3. Nurses' fall prevention efforts should be more attuned to the more relevant predictor of changing health status and functioning capability of residents.