Elderly Falls Prevention Guideline by community involvement: Moo 3 community of Ban Lueak subdistrict, Photharam district, Ratchaburi province

Abstract

The purposes of this research aimed to assess the risk of falls among the elderly and establish guidelines for preventing falls within community-dwelling settings. The study consisted of two main stages. In the first stage, it evaluated the fall risk among 127 elderly individuals residing in the Moo3 community at Ban Lueak subdistrict, Photharam district, Ratchaburi province, utilizing the Thai Falls Risk Assessment Test (THAI-FRAT) and Home Environmental Assessment Tool through purposive sampling. The second stage involved the development of fall prevention guidelines, engaging a representative group of 30 elderly individuals, along with their relatives, community leaders, village health volunteers, and state health officials. This group was selected purposively and participated in conferences applying the AIC process. Data analysis from both stages involved quantitative measures such as means, standard deviations, and percentages, as well as qualitative analysis through content analysis, focusing on focus group discussion topics.

The results showed that the elderly individuals were found to be at risk of falling, with a prevalence rate of 26.77%. Among the identified risk factors, female gender, drug use, and visual impairment were prevalent at rates of 69.29%, 61.42%, and 46.46%, respectively. Environmental risks were assessed to be at high and moderate levels, accounting for 0.79% and 10.24% of cases, respectively. The study identified three groups for fall prevention guidelines: the elderly and their relatives, village health volunteers and public health officials, and community leaders. Each group outlined four key guidelines for fall prevention, focusing on knowledge promotion, healthcare, exercise, and environmental improvements. This approach can be applied in the other community to plan and reduce the incidence of falls.