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Environmental/behavioural interventions aimed at preventing falls in older people with visual impairment: Effectiveness and experiences . Fiona Neil Claire Ballinger Dawn Skelton Tracey Howe Funded by the Thomas Pocklington Trust and Help the Aged. Experience of visual impairment.
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Environmental/behavioural interventions aimed at preventing falls in older people with visual impairment: Effectiveness and experiences Fiona Neil Claire Ballinger Dawn Skelton Tracey Howe Funded by the Thomas Pocklington Trust and Help the Aged
Background • Falls are the leading cause of injury in people aged 75 years and over • Visual impairment is common amongst the oldest old people • Rate of falls in older people with visual impairment is 1.7 times higher • Hip fractures are 1.3-1.9 times higher • Need for a greater understanding of older peoples’ views of falls prevention
Background • RCT in New Zealand (2005) tested a home safety programme which involved environmental and behavioural changes to prevent falls in older people with severe visual impairment (VIP) This demonstrated a reduction in falls • Otherwise most interventions on vision and falls have concentrated around surgical procedures (e.g. Cataract removal) • Recommendations to promote engagement of older people in fall prevention activities (Yardley, 2007) Are these the same for VIP? • Glasgow based “Visibility” report (2008) used focus groups with VIPs: Services are poor and little help with interventions to maintain independence
Registration of two reviews • Quantitative with Cochrane RCTs only Meta analysis Effectiveness Statistical evidence • Qualitative with JBI Qualitative studies Will consider other interventions also Meta synthesis Narrative about experiences
Criteria for both Reviews • Participants • Aged 65 and over • Irreversible visual impairment • Community dwelling • Independently mobility around own home • Excluded if trial selected for a specific condition e.g. stroke • For JBI qualitative only – experiences of carers, family, health and social care providers also considered
Interventions • For both reviews visual rehabilitation, removal of home hazards, home safety modifications, provision of adaptive or assistive equipment, advice on behavioural changes to improve safety in activities of daily living • For JBI/Qual only Exercise, pharmacy, medical assessment, footwear
Outcomes Cochrane/Quantitative • Mobility • Falls - rates • Falls - number of people falling JBI/Qualitative • Feasibility • Appropriateness • Meaningfulness
Search Strategy • Keywords common to both reviews: aged; vision; accidental fall; community dwelling; interventions • English language only • 1990 onwards • Electronic databases • National and regional professional associations • Voluntary organisations
Methods of the Reviews • Critical Appraisal • Selection of studies by paired reviewers • Disparate results will be settled by 3rd reviewer • Included studies appraised • JBI Qari software • Cochrane Revman “risk of bias” and “quality of study” tools • Data Extraction • Data Synthesis
Anticipated Outcomes Inform clinicians, policy makers, commissioners of services and older people about: • Effectiveness of environmental and/or behavioural interventions in improving mobility and reducing falls of older people with VIP (Cochrane Review) • Feasibility, appropriateness and meaningfulness of interventions designed to reduce or prevent falls in older people with VIP (JBI Review)