SR | Environmental interventions can reduce falls in high-risk older adults

Summary: Falls and fall-related injuries are common among older adults and can have serious consequences, such as restricting activity or institutionalization. The Cochrane review aimed to assess the effects of environmental interventions, such as fall-hazard reduction, assistive technology, home modifications, and education, on preventing falls in older adults living in the community.

The review included 22 randomized controlled trials from 10 countries involving 8,463 community-residing older people. The study found that home fall-hazard interventions, which involve evaluating potential fall hazards and implementing safety adaptations or behavioral strategies, can reduce the rate of falls by 26% and the number of people who experience one or more falls by 11% in people at a higher risk of falling.

On the other hand, the study did not find any evidence of a decrease in the rate of falls when the interventions were not targeted toward individuals at higher risk. Additionally, the study suggests that these interventions are unlikely to have a significant impact on health-related quality of life, and there may be little or no difference in the risk of fall-related fractures, hospitalizations due to falls, or the rate of falls that require medical attention.

Article: Environmental interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community – Cochrane Library

Summary: Reducing fall hazards within the environment – Cochrane Library

Editorial: Preventing falls in older people: the evidence for environmental interventions and why history matters – Cochrane Library

Commentary: Preventing falls in older people: new evidence on what helps – Evidently Cochrane