Evidence Based Strategies for Preventing Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and summarize the best evidence for fall prevention measures in community-dwelling elderly individuals.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in databases including UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Evidence-Based Healthcare Center, National Guidelines Clearinghouse, China Medical Guidelines Network, NICE, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, and the Ontario Nurses' Association website. Additional searches were performed in the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and VIP databases for clinical decisions, guidelines, evidence summaries, systematic reviews, and expert consensus related to fall prevention in community-dwelling elderly individuals. The methodological quality of included literature was assessed, and evidence was extracted and synthesized based on key themes.

RESULTS

A total of 3 guidelines, 1 expert consensus, and 12 systematic reviews were included. Twenty-six pieces of evidence were summarized across 8 areas: fall risk screening, fall risk assessment, exercise interventions, medication management, environmental safety, health education, psychological interventions, and multifactorial interventions.

CONCLUSION

The best evidence for fall prevention in community-dwelling elderly individuals was summarized, providing an evidence-based foundation for community healthcare providers to implement fall prevention measures.