Analysis of fall risk factors and environmental hazards for older adults in Japan: assessing fall situations and locations.
Daiki Yokoyama, Kenichiro Mitsuyama, Keizo Inami and 4 others
PMID 39239409WHAT IT FOUND
In Japanese day-care homes, falls clustered in bedrooms, hallways, and entrances.
Not using an assistive device predicted hallway and entrance falls, while Parkinson’s disease, orthopedic conditions, and cane use predicted bedroom falls.
Key findings
01The bedroom was the most common fall location, followed by the hallway and entrance.
02Not using any assistive device was a significant predictor of falls at the entrance and in the hallway.
03Parkinson’s disease, orthopedic disease, and walking with a cane were significant predictors of falls in the bedroom.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study relied on accident reports and medical records, meaning falls that were not reported or witnessed by staff were missed. Some participants had multiple falls, and the same person may have fallen in the same location more than once, which introduces bias. The analysis looked at correlations rather than proving that these specific factors caused the falls in those specific locations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that not using an assistive device is a risk factor for falls everywhere. The study found this only for entrances and hallways, whereas using a cane was actually associated with falls in the bedroom.