Falls in older people: assessing risk and prevention

Recommendation ID: CG161/4
Question: Interventions for preventing falls in older inpatients:- How can falls among older inpatients be prevented? Which patients are most likely to benefit from falls prevention interventions, and does the effectiveness of interventions relate to the patient's length of stay?
Any explanatory notes (if applicable): Why this is important:- Various single and multifactorial interventions for preventing falls have been the subject of research, but their overall effectiveness in different inpatient settings (such as mental health units for older people) has not been established. The relative effectiveness of different components of a multifactorial assessment and a multifactorial intervention, and which older inpatients would benefit most from each intervention, or each component within a multifactorial assessment and intervention, is unclear. The effectiveness of falls prevention interventions in hospital patients with a short length of stay has not been established, and nor has their effectiveness in specific subgroups such as patients with dementia. High-quality randomised controlled trials conducted in the UK are required to improve the existing evidence base.

Source guidance details

Is this a recommendation for the use of a technology only in the context of research?	No
Is it a recommendation that suggests collection of data or the establishment of a register?	No
Last Reviewed	12/07/2013