Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: Preventing falls in older people: the evidence for environmental interventions and why history matters

Published 21st March 2023

Authors: Sharon R Lewis, Xavier L Griffin

This review includes 22 studies involving 8463 community‐residing older people. Most of the available evidence (14 studies, 5830 participants) was for just one of the pre‐specified intervention categories: home fall‐hazard reduction interventions. In these studies, participants were typically visited by an occupational therapist in their own home. Usually, this was a single visit with follow‐up such as a telephone call. Some studies, however, conducted a second or further visits if required. The purpose of the visits was to identify and assess fall hazards, raise awareness of fall risks, jointly problem‐solve, and in some cases also provide assistive technologies. Studies included populations with variable baseline risks of falling; although there was a subset of studies conducted only in older people at higher risk of falling.

Source:
Cochrane library, 2023, Cochrane library (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.ED000162/full)