Occupational Therapy Fall Prevention Interventions for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE. Accidental falls among community-dwelling older adults are preventable and increase the risk of morbidity, hospitalization, and institutionalization. We updated and broadened a 2008 systematic review examining the evidence for the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions in improving fall-related outcomes, occupational performance, quality of life, and health care facility readmissions for community-dwelling older adults. METHOD. We searched and analyzed literature published from 2008 to 2015 from five electronic databases. RESULTS. Fifty articles met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised and synthesized—37 provided Level I; 5, Level II; and 8, Level III evidence. Analysis was organized into four intervention themes: single component, multicomponent, multifactorial, and population based. Mixed evidence was found for single-component and multifactorial interventions, strong evidence was found for multicomponent interventions, and moderate evidence was found for population-based interventions. CONCLUSION. These findings can inform the delivery and integration of fall prevention interventions from acute care to community discharge.