State Health Research Advisory Council, Department of Health, Government of Western Australia.

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to determine how providing individualised falls prevention education facilitated behaviour change from the perspective of older hospital patients on rehabilitation wards and what barriers they identified to engaging in preventive strategies.DesignA prospective qualitative survey.MethodsOlder patients (n=757) who were eligible (mini-mental state examination score>23/30) received falls prevention education while admitted to eight rehabilitation hospital wards in Western Australia. Subsequently, 610 participants were surveyed using a semistructured questionnaire to gain their response to the in-hospital education and their identified barriers to engaging in falls prevention strategies. Deductive content analysis was used to map responses against conceptual frameworks of health behaviour change and risk taking.ResultsParticipants who responded (n=473) stated that the education raised their awareness, knowledge and confidence to actively engage in falls prevention strategies, such as asking for assistance prior to mobilising. Participants’ thoughts and feelings about their recovery were the main barriers they identified to engaging in safe strategies, including feeling overconfident or desiring to be independent and thinking that staff would be delayed in providing assistance. The most common task identified as potentially leading to risk-taking behaviour was needing to use the toilet.ConclusionsIndividualised education assists older hospital rehabilitation patients with good levels of cognition to engage in suitable falls prevention strategies while on the ward. Staff should engage with patients to understand their perceptions about their recovery and support patients to take an active role in planning their rehabilitation.

Abstract Background Older people are at high risk of falls after hospital discharge. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of providing individualized falls prevention education in addition to usual care on falls rates in older people after hospital discharge compared to providing a social intervention in addition to usual care. Methods A randomized clinical trial at three hospitals in Western Australia: participants followed for 6 months after discharge. Baseline and outcomes measured by assessors masked to group allocation. Participants: aged 60 years and over, admitted for rehabilitation. Eligibility included: cognitively able to undertake education (Abbreviated mental test score >7/10). Intervention: tailored education comprising patient video and workbook, structured discussion and goal setting led by trained therapist. Main outcomes: falls in the 6 months after discharge; proportion of participants sustaining one or more falls. Results There were 382 (194 intervention; 188 control) participants (mean age 77.7 [SD 8.7] years). There were 378 falls (fall rate per 1,000 patient-days, 5.9 intervention; 5.9 control) reported by 164 (42.9%) participants in the 6 months following hospital discharge; 188 (49.7%) of these falls were injurious. There were no significant differences in falls rates between intervention and control groups: (adjusted IRR, 1.09; 95% CI [0.78 to 1.52]) or the proportion of participants who fell once or more (adjusted OR, 1.37; 95% CI [0.90 to 2.07]). Conclusions Providing individualized falls prevention education prior to discharge did not reduce falls at home after discharge. Further research is warranted to investigate how to reduce falls during this high-risk transition period.