Characteristics of nursing homes with high percentages of falls and falls with injuries among residents with obesity.
Holly C Felix, Clare C Brown, Marie-Rachelle Narcisse and 3 others
PMID 37540915WHAT IT FOUND
Nursing homes with more registered nurse hours per patient day had significantly lower odds of high falls rates among residents with obesity.
Conversely, more certified nursing assistant hours were linked to higher odds of these falls and injuries.
Key findings
01For every additional registered nurse hour per patient day, nursing homes were less likely to be in the highest category for falls and falls with injuries among residents with obesity.
02For every additional certified nursing assistant hour per patient day, nursing homes were more likely to be in the highest category for falls and falls with injuries among residents with obesity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used existing administrative data not collected for research purposes, which may lack important variables. Selection bias is possible because nursing homes with missing information or fewer than 11 residents with obesity were excluded. The findings are specific to US nursing homes and may not generalize to other healthcare systems. The study identifies associations but cannot prove causation between staffing levels and fall rates.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AG063867. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that hiring more CNAs causes falls. The study shows an association where higher CNA hours correlate with higher fall rates, but this may reflect that facilities with higher fall risks hire more staff, or that CNA roles focus on personal care rather than mobility monitoring, rather than direct harm from CNA presence.