Outcomes, behaviors and injuries vary in older adults who experience falls indoors versus outdoors, according to a new study published in the journal Geriatrics and Gerontology International.
For the comparison, researchers examined data on 712 patients over 55 years old collected in the trauma registry and electronic medical records at the trauma center at Jamaica Hospital in New York.
Patients who fell outdoors tended to be younger, male and had reduced rates of chronic morbidities like diabetes, dementia and congestive heart failure than those who fell indoors. While both groups were susceptible to severe injury due to the fall, indoor fallers were more likely to be transferred to rehab facilities rather than returning home directly from the hospital. Head injuries and open wounds were more common among those who fell outdoors, while sprains were more likely for those who fell indoors. Alcohol use in both groups was linked to bone fractures resultant of the fall.
"Given the difference in characteristics between indoor and outdoor fallers, targeted prevention programs are warranted to address the needs of these two groups," said Tracy Chippendale, PhD, assistant professor of occupational therapy at NYU Steinhardt. "Since outdoor fallers are more likely to be younger and less likely to go to a rehabilitation or skilled nursing center — where fall prevention training often occurs — after being discharged from the hospital, we need to think about the location where fall prevention initiatives are offered. One possibility would be primary care clinics."
More articles on quality:
Family disease not just genetic — shared behavior may play key role
Prosthetic joints may soon be wrapped in lab-grown cartilage
Point-of-care medication delivery linked to higher patient satisfaction, medication adherence