Fall prevention using the Kawa model with community-dwelling older adults

Harshbarger, Amber N. &  Lape, Jennifer E. (2022). Fall prevention using the Kawa model with community-dwelling older adults. SIS Quarterly Connections, 7(4).

A fall is an instance in which an individual finds themselves unintentionally on the ground, floor, or lower surface (World Health Organization, 2018). For older adults, falls occur because of an interaction between individual factors (i.e., diagnosis, number of medications) and environmental factors (i.e., stairs, throw rugs, pets) (Pynoos et al., 2010). Individuals are at higher risk for falls if they have fallen in the past 6 months, are taking five or more medications, or have difficulty walking or poor vision (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Older adults who have fallen may develop a fear of falling and restrict their activities, which can result in further loss of independence (Pynoos et al., 2010).