How older adults would like falls prevention information delivered: fresh insights from a World Café forum

Abstract

Translation of falls prevention evidence into practice is problematic. Understanding older adults’ views about falls prevention information could enhance delivery of falls prevention, resulting in better engagement and uptake of recommended activities. The aim of this study was to examine the views and preferences of community-dwelling older adults about seeking and receiving falls prevention information. A community forum using a modified World Café approach was conducted. Participants discussed five topic areas in small groups, under the guidance of table facilitators. Perspectives were captured on paper. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify factors that influence participants’ engagement and uptake of information. Seventy-three older adults participated in the forum covering wide-ranging preferences around falls prevention information. Personal experience was considered the key influence on an older adult's decision to initiate seeking information. While health professionals were often approached, alternative sources such as public libraries, peer educators and seniors’ organisations were also favoured as credible sources of information. Older adults proposed falls prevention information should be delivered with a positive tone, coupled with highly valued qualities of respect, empathy and time to listen to foster motivation to engage in recommended activities. Consumer-focused practical strategies were proposed to potentially improve future design, communication and dissemination of falls prevention information. This improvement could enhance engagement of messages and subsequent uptake of falls prevention recommended strategies.

Exploring purpose‐designed audio‐visual falls prevention messages on older people's capability and motivation to prevent falls

“…The results of this study suggest that avoiding the f‐word (Yardley & Todd, ) may work for some, but clearly not for all older people. The overall variety of responses on the three AV messages confirms that it may be worthwhile providing future falls prevention information in several distinct formats (Khong et al, ), using precision health messaging to cater for the divergent variety of people's preferences. For example, different campaign message formats could be used to specifically target both people who have and who have not fallen (Khong et al, ) or signpost people both to readily available falls prevention resources and local opportunities as well as providing ready‐to‐use strategies.…”

“…Previous research has also shown that it is hard to convince older adults that taking up falls prevention strategies will be effective for them personally (Haines et al, ) and that falls prevention information may be screened out or rejected by some older adults as unnecessary and not personally relevant (Hughes et al, ; Yardley et al, ), especially if they have not personally experienced a fall (Khong et al, ). Personal experience of having had a fall is considered a key influence on an older adult's decision to initiate seeking falls prevention information (Khong et al, ). The majority (72%) of the focus group participants had not experienced a fall in the past 12 months, which may explain why so many participants felt that the messages were not persuasive enough to do something about their falls risk.…”

“…Older adults lack knowledge and motivation to effectively prevent falls (Franco et al, ; Haines, Day, Hill, Clemson, & Finch, ; Khong, Bulsara, Hill, & Hill, ). Knowledge and motivation are some of the important ‘active ingredients’ necessary for bringing about health behaviour change according to the Behaviour Change Wheel and Theoretical Domains Framework approach, a theoretical psychological model of behaviour change (Michie, Atkins, & West, ).…”

“…Knowledge and motivation are some of the important ‘active ingredients’ necessary for bringing about health behaviour change according to the Behaviour Change Wheel and Theoretical Domains Framework approach, a theoretical psychological model of behaviour change (Michie, Atkins, & West, ). However, multiple studies have demonstrated that many older adults believe that falls prevention is not personally relevant to them (Dollard, Barton, Newbury, & Turnbull, ), most often because they feel they are not at risk of falling (Khong et al, ). It has been suggested that these beliefs are associated with a perceived implication of dependency and incompetence (Clark et al, ; Gardiner et al, ).…”

“…Recently, a community World Café forum was conducted to gain older people's perspectives about how falls prevention messages could be effectively disseminated to promote engagement with the messages and enhance subsequent uptake of recommended falls prevention recommended strategies (Khong et al, ). Findings from this forum strongly suggested that older people were only seeking help after having fallen, meaning that falls prevention information was not accessed proactively.…”