REDUCING FALL RISKS FOR URBAN ELDERS THROUGH COMMUNITY-COLLEGE PARTNERSHIPS AND HEALTH EDUCATION

摘要

Objective: To investigate the benefits of a community-college partnership for an occupational therapy (OT) health education program to increase older adults’ knowledge of home safety and reduce fall hazards. Method: Older adults attended a 4 session program at 2 urban senior centers. The Home Safety Self-Assessment Tool (HSSAT) was the primary tool used by OT faculty and graduate students to increase home safety knowledge, ability to modify activities to reduce fall risks, and develop safety plans to reduce falls. Results: Forty-seven adults aged 61–94 participated. Pre and post test analyses found significant differences between knowledge of home safety (p= 0.020), ability to recognize unsafe activities (p = 0.013), safely perform activities (p = 0.038), and develop safety plans (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Findings support the benefits of community-college-OT partnerships, including use of the HSSAT, to improve older adults’ knowledge of home safety and problem-solving skills to reduce fall hazards.