Abstract
BackgroundSight impairment increases with age and, compared with the general older population, older people with sight impairment are more likely to fall. There is a growing body of evidence on the views and perceptions of older people about falls, but little is published on the views of older people with sight impairment.ObjectiveTo explore what older people with sight impairment believe to be the causes of falls.DesignA qualitative design was used, incorporating focus groups and interviews in which participants discussed falls and falls prevention. Framework analysis was employed to identify themes arising from participants' discussions of the causes of falls.Setting and participantsFifty‐four community dwelling men and women with sight impairment, aged 65 and over, were recruited from across Greater Manchester, UK.ResultsFive types of factors were identified that were believed to cause falls: (i) health issues and changes in balance caused by ageing; (ii) cognitive and behavioural factors; (iii) the impact of sight impairment on getting around the home; (iv) the impact of sight impairment on negotiating the environment away from home; and (v) unexplained falls.Discussion and conclusionsOlder people with sight impairment reported many researched risk factors previously identified by older people without sight impairment but also described many perceived risks unique to people with sight impairment. There are few interventions to prevent falls aimed at older people with sight impairment, and the results of this study allow further tailoring of such interventions based on views of older people with sight impairment.
Highlights
Sight impairment increases with age and, compared with the general older population, older people with sight impairment are more likely to fall
Five types of factors were identified that were believed to cause falls: (i) health issues and changes in balance caused by ageing; (ii) cognitive and behavioural factors; (iii) the impact of sight impairment on getting around the home; (iv) the impact of sight impairment on negotiating the environment away from home; and (v) unexplained falls
Older people with sight impairment identified many factors which have previously been reported as risk factors for falls
Summary
Sight impairment increases with age and, compared with the general older population, older people with sight impairment are more likely to fall. There is a growing body of evidence on the views and perceptions of older people about falls, but little is published on the views of older people with sight impairment. Evidence suggests sight impairment in older people is associated with increases in the incidence of falls and hip fractures.[3] Compared to the general older population, this group is 1.7 times more likely to fall, 1.9 times more likely to have multiple falls and 1.3–1.9 times more likely to experience hip fractures.[4]. This cautiousness may increase their risk of falling, as other research has found that people with sight loss who did not take part in physical activity were three times more likely to fall.[6]
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