Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Associated With Function-Focused Care

The purpose of this study was to describe falls and injuries within assisted living (AL) communities and determine whether a function-focused care (FFC) intervention increased the risk of falls and/or injuries. This was a secondary data analysis using data from a 12-month cluster-randomized controlled trial in which four AL communities were matched based on ownership and randomly assigned to treatment (FFC-AL) or attention control (FFC-education only). Demographic information and information on comorbidities, falls, and consequences postfall, ability to ambulate 50 yards, gait and balance, cognition, person-environment fit, and medication use were collected. Logistic regression was used to test the hypotheses. Exposure to FFC-AL did not result in an increased likelihood of falling (Wald = 0.01, p = .96) or sustaining an injury (B = 0.42, Wald = 0.88, p = .35). The study findings supported prior research findings supporting the safety of interventions that optimize function and encourage physical activity among older adults.