Fall recovery intervention and its effect on fear of falling in older adults

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Teresa B. Cox (Creator)

Institution

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )

Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Advisor

Kathleen Williams

Abstract: Fear of falling leads to activity restriction in the older adult population. Activity restriction leads to muscle deconditioning and a greater propensity to suffer a fall. Fear of falling may occur in older adults, regardless of their history of falls. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the effects of a fall education program and a floor-rise training intervention on fear of falling scores, using the Survey of Fear of Falling in the Elderly fear of falling tool (SAFFE, Lachman, et al., 1998). Lachman et al. (1998) developed the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFFE) to ascertain the level of FOF associated with activities of daily living (ADLs) and/or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). ADLs include such tasks as feeding, toileting, selecting proper attire, grooming, maintaining continence, bathing, walking and transferring (CDC, 2013). IADLs include managing finances, handling transportation (driving or navigating public transit), shopping, preparing meals, using the telephone or some other communication device, managing medications, and housework (CDC, 2013). The SAFFE targets items consistent with previous research findings and FOF in the older adult population. The SAFFE survey tool assesses 11 activities associated with daily life maintenance, including going to the store, preparing meals, taking a tub bath, visiting friends or relatives, reaching overhead and to the floor, going out in slippery conditions, as well as getting out of bed, going to crowded places, exercising daily, and walking outdoors. It is a reliable and valid tool; its psychometric properties correlate with the Tinetti Falls Efficacy Scale (Tinetti, Richmond & Powell, 1990). Sixty-three older adults from two continuing-care retirement communities in Greensboro, ages 73-102, participated in a study in which a baseline fear of falling score was established. Educational material from the National Institutes of Health (CDC, 2013) was then given to all participants. Participants were subdivided, with 30 participants in an education-only group and 33 participants in the education and fall-recovery floor rise training group. In addition to the baseline survey, a second SAFFE was administered to all participants after the education intervention and lastly to both groups after the experimental group had received floor-rise training. Using existing skills, the floor-rise training group performed three rises from a simulated fallen position. Whether attempting floor rise from either supine or prone position, each participant was able to rise from the floor under most conditions, using existing surroundings as aids if necessary (furniture, pillows, etc.). Floor-rise training methods were specialized for each individual, based upon hip and/or knee replacements, shoulder ailments, and any other preexisting condition that could make rising from the floor a challenge. Visual recordings of two floor-rise participants are included in this dissertation. It was hypothesized that both groups would decrease their fear of falling as a result of exposure to educational materials and floor-rise training. Intervention participants were hypothesized to experience additional decreases in fear. Results from this study examining data using a RM ANOVA were not significant, however. Increased confidence was evident in the qualitative aspects of the final interview, although not significant with the SAFFE survey tool.

Fall recovery intervention and its effect on fear of falling in older adults
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Created on 5/1/2014
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Additional Information

Publication

Dissertation

Language: English

Date: 2014

Keywords

Falls, Fear of Falling, Older Adults

Subjects

Falls (Accidents) in old age $x Prevention

Falls (Accidents) in old age $x Psychological aspects

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