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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to know the risk factors of falling among older residents in nursing homes.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to know how to develop and psychometric evaluate an new falling assessment tool.
The aim of this study is developing a falling assessment tool with psychometric evaluation for residents of nursing homes.
We targeted 235 residents who lived in 4 nursing homes in northern Taiwan. During a 12-month follow-up, the results showed that the new scale includes 6 items: falls history (past year); dizziness/ syncope; use assistive devices: with cane, walker or wheelchair, with handrail or others; using medicines that may cause orthostatic hypotension; attempts to arise: uses arm to help and requires more than twice, unable arise and unable without help; and cognitive impaired (MMSE<24). We found that this new scale with good inter-rater reliability (κ = .91, p < .001), a 2-week test-retest reliability (r=.88, p < .001), and discriminant validity with GDS ( r = -.57, p<.001). A cutoff point of ≥7 (the best Youden Index was .89, sensitivity was .94, specificity was .95, and under ROC area was .94) for the new scale would be recommended for screening falls among residents in nursing homes
In conclusion, this new scale with > 7 as cutoff point has good sensitivity and specificity, inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability among this population in nursing homes.
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