Steps Toward Safety: A Guide to Pharmacy Student-Led Fall Prevention

Background Community-dwelling older adults are at an increased risk of falls for multiple reasons. Community-based initiatives are needed to prevent these devastating events. Objectives This observational cohort study evaluated community fall-prevention events led by pharmacists and student pharmacists. The primary outcome was the change in Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) score among participants aged 55 years and older. Secondary outcomes included participant-reported changes in the number of fall hazards in the home, the number of medications taken by participants that increase fall risk as recorded during the community event, and participants’ confidence in performing the chair-rise exercise after the community event. Methods The fall-prevention events included education on fall risk, prevention strategies, identification of home fall hazards, review of high-risk medications, and instruction on safely rising from a chair. Results The change in STEADI assessment scores from before compared to 30 days after attending the community event was significant (P < 0.0001). Participants identified an average of 2 (± 1.5) home fall hazards after the community event, and 92.6% made changes to their home environment. Participants also reported taking an average of 2 (± 1) high-risk medications at the community event and demonstrated significantly improved confidence in their ability to safely rise from a chair post-activity (P = 0.0005). Conclusion Pharmacist- and student pharmacist-led fall prevention events decreased fall risk, as evaluated by the STEADI assessment. Participants were encouraged to make changes to their home environment, received education about high-risk prescription and over-the-counter medications, and demonstrated increased confidence in performing the chair-rise exercise. Overall, these findings demonstrate that pharmacist-led community outreach events can lead to meaningful behavioral changes to help prevent falls in older adults.