Thompson P G
Epidemiology Branch, South Australian Health Commission, Adelaide.
Med J Aust. 1996 May 6;164(9):530-2.
To analyse the effectiveness of an ongoing program for reducing the risk of falls in the elderly in their homes.
Retrospective questionnaire survey of the number of falls in the 12 months before home modifications were installed. Participants were followed up 12 months later to determine the number of falls since home modifications.
Major city, November 1993 to July 1995.
Healthy elderly people recruited at presentations made to gatherings of elderly people about the risks of falls in the home.
A free home safety inspection and simple home modifications, such as grab-rails and non-slip floor surfaces, were offered at subsidized prices.
Number of falls in the 12 months before and after home modifications.
Nearly 4000 elderly people agreed to have a home safety inspection and, of these 90% agreed to have their homes modified. Of the first 305 participants (mean age 74 years) for whom it had been 12 months since modifications 69 (22.6%) had reported having fallen at least once in 12 months before modifications. In the 12 months after modifications, 29 participants (9.5% reported at least one or more falls--a 58% reduction (95% confidence interval [Cl], 37%-72%). The total number of falls decreased from 121 to 45--a 63% reduction (95% Cl, 50%-73%). There was a significant decrease in falls in the 61-65, 66-70, 71-75 and 81-85 years age groups (P< 0.05).
The risk of falling in the elderly can be lowered by more than a half by simple modifications to the home. Behavioural change, as well as environmental change, is important to the success of falls-prevention programs.
分析一项正在进行的降低老年人在家中跌倒风险项目的有效性。
对安装家庭改造设施前12个月内的跌倒次数进行回顾性问卷调查。12个月后对参与者进行随访，以确定自家庭改造后发生的跌倒次数。
大城市，1993年11月至1995年7月。
在向老年人聚会介绍家中跌倒风险时招募的健康老年人。
提供免费的家庭安全检查，并以补贴价格提供简单的家庭改造，如扶手和防滑地面。
家庭改造前后12个月内的跌倒次数。
近4000名老年人同意接受家庭安全检查，其中90%同意对其房屋进行改造。在首批305名参与者（平均年龄74岁）中，自改造后已满12个月，69人（22.6%）报告在改造前的12个月内至少跌倒过一次。在改造后的12个月内，29名参与者（9.5%）报告至少跌倒过一次或多次——跌倒次数减少了58%（95%置信区间[CI]，37%-72%）。跌倒总数从121次降至45次——减少了63%（95%CI，50%-73%）。61-65岁、66-70岁、71-75岁和81-85岁年龄组的跌倒次数显著减少（P<0.05）。
通过对家庭进行简单改造，可将老年人跌倒风险降低一半以上。行为改变以及环境改变对预防跌倒项目的成功至关重要。
