An interactive approach to educate older adults on fall safety & prevention

Abstract

Specific Aims: The purpose of this study was to test an interactive educational program for older adults on preventing accidental falls. Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study evaluating the helpfulness of an interactive educational program. English speaking residents were recruited from five independent senior living communities in Arizona. The intervention consisted of a 30-minute interactive PowerPoint presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. Information provided during the presentation focused on information from the CDC and the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence. Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire to rate the helpfulness of the program. The primary dependent variable was overall helpfulness of the educational session. Other variables included: intention of changing future behavior related to preventing falls, whether participants would recommend the program to others, participant perception of gained knowledge, change in fear of falling, and interest in meeting with pharmacist to discuss medications. Categorical data was analyzed by calculating frequencies and percentages and continuous data by calculating means and SDs. A t-test for independent groups was used to compare men and women. Main Results: A total of 93 individuals attended the presentations. Out of 81 completed surveys, 5 did not indicate gender, 7 additional did not indicate age, and 6 were over 89 years of age. Demographic data for the men and women was similar. 90% of participants indicated that the program was either "very helpful" or "moderately helpful". 92% of participants responded “absolutely yes” or “likely” that they would recommend the program. No participants strongly disagreed that they had a better understanding of fall risks or medications that increase fall risk. 87% of participants responded “absolutely yes” or “likely” that they plan to increase daily exercise . 42% of participants said it was “not likely” that they plan to make changes in their living environment. Conclusions: An interactive educational program on fall safety and prevention is helpful for older adults. As one of the most widely accessible health care providers, pharmacists and pharmacy students are well suited to provide patient education and improve outcomes. The results of this study provide preliminary data supporting the usefulness of a patient education program on fall safety prevention administered by pharmacy students.