Author/Editor		Goljar, Nika; Globokar, Daniel; Puzić, Nataša; Kopitar, Natalija; Skrbinšek, Maja; Ivanovski, Matic; Vidmar, Gaj
Title		Effectiveness of a fall-risk reduction programme for inpatient rehabilitation after stroke
Type		članek
Vol. and No.		Letnik 38, št. 18
Publication year		2016
Volume		str. 1811-1819
ISSN		Y505-8651 - Disability and rehabilitation
Language		eng
Abstract		Purpose: To evaluate effectiveness of fall-risk-assessment-based fall prevention for stroke rehabilitation inpatients. Method: A consecutive series of 232 patients admitted for the first time to a subacute stroke-rehabilitation ward during 2010-2011 was studied in detail. The Assessment Sheet for Fall Prediction in Stroke Inpatients (ASFPSI by Nakagawa et al.) was used to assess fall-risk upon admission. Association of ASFPSI score and patient characteristics with actual falls was statistically tested. Yearly incidence of falls per 1000 hospital days (HD) was retrospectively audited for the 2006-2014 period to evaluate effectiveness of fall-risk reduction measures. Results: The observed incidence of falls over the detailed-study-period was 3.0/1000 HD; 39% of the fallers fell during the first week after admission. ASFPSI score was not significantly associated with falls. Longer hospital stay, left body-side affected and non-extreme FIM score (55-101) were associated with higher odds of fall. Introduction of fall-risk reduction measures followed by compulsory fallrisk assessment lead to incidence of falls dropping from 7.1/1000 HD in 2006 to 2.8/1000 HD in 2011 and remaining at that level until 2014. Conclusions: The fall-risk-assessment-based measures appear to have led to decreasing falls risk among post-stroke rehabilitation inpatients classified as being at high risk of falls. The fall prevention programme as a whole was successful. Patients with non-extreme level of functional independence should receive enhanced fall prevention.
Keywords		fall risk falls inpatient rehabilitation prevention stroke