Model Development for Preparation of Fall Prevention in the Eldery by Integration of Collaborative Networks

Abstract

The elderly population in Thailand is soaring up rapidly, and a common issue among the elderly is injuries resulting from falls which can cause physical harm, disabilities, and even death. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a model for fall prevention in the elderly by integration of cooperative networks. This participatory action research consisted of 4 steps i.e. planning, experimenting, observation, and reflection. The samples were 30 elderly from Wat Sai Khet 1, Mueang Photharam Municipality, Ratchaburi Province. Data collection involved document analysis, interviews, meetings, and the use of assessment forms. The content analysis was used for analyzing qualitative data while quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and paired t-test. The results showed that the developed model involves collaboration between hospital networks (doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists) and the local network (administrators, public health officials, village health volunteers, elderly caregivers, and representatives of village health volunteers). The model aligns with roles and responsibilities within 5 steps as follows: (1) investigate the needs and problems of the community; (2) plan the implementation starting with understanding the community context, analyzing the situation of falls in the community, identifying causes and impacts, mapping community activities needed to reduce fall incidents, and agreeing on shared roles and responsibilities for implementation; (3) implement the planned activities including knowledge dissemination on fall prevention in the elderly, exercise programs, improving surrounding environments at home to prevent falls, and providing advice on medication use and vision testing; (4) observe, monitor, and evaluate the progress of the implemented activities; and (5) summarize the outcomes of the activities and provide feedback for improvement of collaborative works. The evaluation of the model showed the results that: (1) knowledge in fall prevention and preparation for fall prevention in the elderly was significantly higher than that of the pre-implementation (p<0.01); (2) the collaborative networks and the elderly expressed their satisfaction towards the model at the highest level (Mean = 4.6); (3) the reduction of falls among the participating elderly, from 10.0% to 0.0%; and (4) the model had successfully reduced falls among the elderly, from 24.4% to 12.2%, after further expansion for deployment in the Wat Chok community, Mueang Photharam Municipality, Ratchaburi Province. Therefore, it is recommended to continue fall prevention activities for the elderly by focusing on collaborative networks to achieve sustainable outcomes.