Characteristics and outcomes of older adults admitted for inpatient rehabilitation with and without a high falls risk.

Abstract

Background: Falls are a major cause of preventable harm for patients within hospital settings. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics and outcomes of older adults admitted for rehabilitation identified as being a high falls risk versus those without an increased risk. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of a random sample of 105 older adults admitted for inpatient rehabilitation was conducted. Data included: Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at admission and discharge, falls risk based on the Shkuratova Assessment of Falls-risk in Rehabilitation (SAFER) tool, 'Timed Up-and-Go' test, and '10-meter walking test'. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, differences between groups were analysed using unpaired t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: Forty-four percent of patients had a high falls risk, their mean length of stay was longer (14.0(SD 5.4) vs 10.5(SD4.7), p <(0.001) and they were less likely to retun home 34, (74%) versus 57 (97%), p=0.007). Their mean FIM score was lower on admission (90.4(SD8.7) versus 103.3(SD6.6),p<0.001) and at discharge (107.2(SD19.0) versus 119.1(SD4.9), p=0.001). Conclusion: More than 40% of older adults admitted for rehabilitation had a high falls risk, these individuals had greater functional impairment, longer length of stay and were less likely to return home. Relevance to Clinical Practice: The results of this study highlight the need to develop models of care delivery for aged-care rehabilitation settings that can minimise falls risk while promoting functional independence.