Falls Reduction in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Preliminary Report of a New Internet-Based Behavioral Technique

Abstract

To investigate an Internet-based psychological intervention targeting behavioral factors related to falls among residents of long-term care communities. Retrospective A-B design with 90-day look-back. Long-term care communities in New York State (N=4, 3 SNF, 1 ALF). Nursing home residents (N=26). Internet-based programmed learning system using cognitive- and behavioral-based techniques. Direct measures of documented falls in the medical record, perceived risk and burden scales, Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Attitudes to Falls-Related Interventions Scale (AFRIS). Reductions in documented falls by 52% along with substantial reductions in staff ratings of risk and burden. Behavioral treatment of risk factors related to falls within a structured delivery using Internet-based intervention may be an effective and efficient mechanism for treating fall risk in long-term care settings.