The Falls In Care Home study: a feasibility randomized controlled trial of the use of a risk assessment and decision support tool to prevent falls in care homes.

Only six homes and 52 residents were studied, and no formal power calculation was done, so the fall rate difference cannot be treated as proof. Cluster sizes ranged from one to 20 residents, so one very large home could dominate the result. Ten of 52 residents had missing six-month data, seven because they died and three moved away. One intervention home received only ten minutes of training for 17 staff, not the planned hour. Only 36 of 114 care home staff were trained, which may have limited implementation. Two homes had minor contamination, and the outcome assessor was unblinded in two intervention homes. Fewer falls were seen in both groups after recruitment, and increased staff vigilance in both arms may have contributed. General practitioner visit counts varied widely, and the consequence of that variability is unclear. One intervention home served people with learning disabilities, and residents spent much of the day away at a day centre, so adherence was difficult.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Institute of Health Research and later by the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East Midlands.

Do not conclude the checklist prevents falls. This was a feasibility trial with no formal power calculation, and one intervention home received only ten minutes of training for 17 staff.