Authors (including presenting author) :
Tse KY, Chow WK, Li PM, Ho CM
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, Tai Po Hospital
Introduction :
Falls among elderly are significant public health concerns and have been reported as a major factor restricting independence in Activities of Daily Living and causing institutionalisation in elderly. Occupational therapist plays an important role in educating elderly the risks contributing to falls and preventive strategies. Therefore, a fall prevention program was proposed in in-patient phase to enhance patients’ knowledge, attitudes and foster behavioural changes in reducing fall risks.
Objectives :
To evaluate the effectiveness of the fall prevention program to patients in in-patient orthopaedic rehabilitation through investigating their level of knowledge, attitudes and practices.
Methodology :
Patients admitted to Tai Po Hospital 1) due to fall, 2) with cut-off > 7th percentile in HK-MoCA or HK-MoCA-5-Min were recruited. Patients with visual or / and hearing impairments were excluded. A 60-minute educational group on fall prevention was delivered to patients followed by prescription of HAGO fall prevention information and introduction of gerontechnology products related to fall prevention. Evaluation based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) Model was used to assess participants’ knowledge, attitudes and practices in fall prevention by using pre-post knowledge quiz and satisfaction survey with 4-point scale immediately after the program.
Result & Outcome :
A total number of 26 patients (women: 22, men: 4) were recruited from Orthopaedic ward in Tai Po Hospital from 2 July 2024 to 30 November 2024. The mean age was 74.8 years old (SD±10.0). Overall satisfaction rate was 100%. Results are presented into the following aspects using KAP Model:
1. Knowledge: Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test was used. Participants showed significant improvement in fall prevention knowledge (p<0.001).
2. Attitude: 100% of participants agreed that fall can lead to serious health problems. 88% of the participants agreed that fall can be prevented.
3. Practices: 100% of participants would be aware of their physical health in order to prevent fall and consider changing their habits to reduce the risk of fall. Moreover, 100% of participants expressed willingness in home modification to prevent fall at home.
The fall prevention program has shown to be effective in empowering participants with knowledge, attitudes and practices in fall prevention. For further enhancement, prescription of fall prevention home program and involvement of carers will be implemented.
