Exploring seniors' views on the use of assistive devices in fall prevention

Falls are a common barrier to independent living among elderly persons. In recent years, growing awareness of the incidence of falls has led to the development of many community-based fall prevention programs for older adults. However, the potential impact of these programs is diminished by the lack of research on factors that may influence older persons' decisions to adopt or reject fall prevention behaviors. This exploratory descriptive study employed a focus group approach to elicit qualitative data on seniors' views on the use of assistive devices in fall prevention. Four focus group interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 30 community-living older adults from Italian- and British-Canadian backgrounds in Ottawa, Canada. The interviews documented personal experiences with and the meaning of falls, aging, and assistive device use for older adults. The findings have important implications for the public health nursing practice in the realms of individual counseling, social marketing, and policy change to prevent falls among elderly persons. The study also provides direction for future research on this topic.