Effect of an educational intervention to prevent the risk of falls in institutionalized older adults

Karla D. Hernández-García, Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Ags., México
Nelly Y. Silva-Landeros, Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Ags., México
M. Fernanda Morales-Sánchez, Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Ags., México
Juan P. Gómez-Cardona, Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Ags., México

Introduction: Educational interventions promote self-care and fall prevention, and not only transmit theoretical and practical knowledge, but also help identify and address health risk factors in older adults. Objective: Determine the effect of educational intervention in the modification of practices and behaviors to prevent the risk of falls in institutionalized older adults. Method: Quantitative, quasi-experimental, longitudinal and prospective study of a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 28 older adults. Data was collected before, immediately after, and three months after a manual-based educational intervention on fall prevention. The assessment was carried out using the scale of practices and behaviors of the elderly to prevent falls (α = 0.835). Inferential statistics were used using the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests. Results: A 92.8% improvement was obtained in the development of practices and behaviors to prevent falls. To compare the values obtained from the three evaluations carried out (medians of 3.00, 3.50 and 3.00, respectively) the Friedman test was used, with p < 0.002, which indicates that the educational intervention modifies the practices and behaviors of older adults to prevent falls. Conclusions: The implementation of educational interventions is effective in promoting improvement in self-care and fall prevention in institutionalized older adults.

Keywords: Accidental falls. Homes for the aged. Education. Aged.