Fall Prevention Needs Assessment:

An Update on Orange County

Presented by:

John Billimek, PhD

Consultant:

Juliana Fuqua,PhD

Overall

• 834 older adults completed the survey, which was administered in Fall 2006 by Down with Falls Coalition members

84%16%

84%Self Administered

Other

SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS

Age

4%

8%

11%

17%

20% 21%

17%

1.40%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Age

Gender

66%

34%Female

Male

Living Situations

55%

22%11%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

House

Condo/Apartment

Senior ApartmentFacility

57% Do not live alone

Ethnicity and Language of Population

74%

10%

9%7%

CaucasianAsianHispanicOther

12%

88% English

Other

RESULTS

Prevalence of Falls and Risk Factors

Prevalence of falling

28% of respondents have experienced a fall in the past 26% of women 32% of men

6 Risk factors for falls Living alone (40% of respondents) Age over 70 (77%) Exercise 2 or fewer days per week (39%) Take over 6 medications per day (44%) Live in a house (not a condo/apartment)

(45%) Use a walking aid (44%)

Risk factors add up!

% r

epor

ting

a fa

ll on

sur

vey

RESULTS

Sources of Health Information

Sources of Health Information

88%

23% 19% 16% 14% 13%

How Sources of Health Information Differ Between Groups

English Speaking

Non-English Speaking

Healthcare Providers

Friends

Internet

Medical Books

Senior/Community Centers

•A very high proportion of respondents in all groups reported doctors as a key source•Reliance on other sources like family, friends and other health care providers did not differ widely across groups.

RESULTS

Motivating people to act!

Risk Perceptions and Resource Seeking

What sorts of resources exist for fall prevention?

Programs that teach you how to prevent falls Balance and mobility classes Hospital and medical group education programs

Educational materials Lectures/seminars Literature (brochures, flyers, newsletters)

Medical Intervention Regular medication review Physical therapy sessions Medical assessments by public health nurses

Home Modifications

Who sought resources to prevent falls?

Perceived Risk – Self vs. Others

36%

83%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Participants were much more likely to say that “Falling is a problem for people in my age group” (83%) than to indicate they think their own risk is moderate or higher (36%).

Nature of Perceived Risk

In addition to looking at how high or low people estimate their fall risk to be, we looked at the nature of the risk factors they thought to be more important.

Internal Risk Factors on Survey•Problems with balance•Muscle weakness•Dizziness•Vision problems•Medical conditions•Arthritis

External Risk Factors on Survey•Stairs•Position changes•Footwear•Uneven surfaces•Poor lighting•Pets•Clutter

Who sought resources?Level of Perceived Risk

No history of falls Fell in the past•Among non-fallers with an external risk orientation, the likelihood of seeking resources does not increase with a higher level of perceived risk

•With an internal risk orientation, likelihood of seeking resources increases, especially with a high level of perceived risk

Who sought resources?Nature of Perceived Risk

No history of falls Fell in the past

•Among non-fallers with an external risk orientation, the likelihood of seeking resources does not increase with a higher level of perceived risk

•With an internal risk orientation, likelihood of seeking resources increases, especially with a high level of perceived risk

Who sought resources?Level and Nature of Risk Perception

No history of falls Fell in the past

•Among non-fallers with an external risk orientation, the likelihood of seeking resources does not increase with a higher level of perceived risk

•With an internal risk orientation, likelihood of seeking resources increases, especially with a high level of perceived risk

Main Themes

Older adults perceive their own risks differently than they perceive the risks of others

Education is key—but the methods used should match the target population Older adults rely on doctors for information about

falls, but doctors often don’t provide it. Internet and printed resources seemed especially

valuable for English speakers Community and Senior centers seemed most

valuable for non-English speakers

Level vs. Nature – education should include types of risks (internal vs. external), not just the level of perceived risk (high vs. low).