Fall Prevention for Apartment Dwelling Seniors: A Self-efficacy Study

Abstract

An aging population creates the need for interventions aimed at decreasing dependence in ADL performance. Research indicates that self-efficacy and fears of falling affect both ADL performance and ADL dependence. The purpose o f this program was to determine the effectiveness of a fall prevention education program in increasing participants' feelings of self- efficacy to perform specified ADLs without falling. A convenience sample of individuals over the age of 65 who resided in apartment complexes exclusively for senior citizens was used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. The ADLs of concern included simple housecleaning, dressing, simple meal preparation, bathing, simple shopping, getting in and out of a chair, going up and down stairs, walking around the neighborhood, reaching into cupboards, and hurrying to answer the telephone. A quasi experimental design was used to conduct the study. <p>Participants in the experimental group attended two sessions consisting of fall prevention education, instructions on the use of adaptive equipment, and opportunities to practice newly learned behaviors. Both groups completed the Falls Efficacy Scale. <p>Thirty participants were included in this study (N=30). These included fourteen participants in the comparison group and sixteen in the experimental group. Thirty eight participants in the experimental group attended the first session, but due to attrition, the final number of participants in this group was sixteen. Data analysis was performed to determine whether a relationship existed between the intervention and self-efficacy for completing ADLs without falling. While many participants verbalized feelings that the intervention was helpful to them, no relationship was found between participation in the intervention and higher self-efficacy for completion of ADLs without falling. <p>Future investigations may find the current study helpful for avoiding similar limitations which act as barriers to obtaining results. Limitations of this study include a small sample size, cognitive deficits noted in some participants, questionable independence with ADL performance, location of the experimental sessions, and attrition.