Examining fall risk among formerly homeless older adults living in permanent supportive housing
Corresponding Author
Benjamin F. Henwood PhD
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Correspondence
Benjamin F. Henwood, University of Southern California, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1429, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHarmony Rhoades PhD
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJon Pynoos PhD
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorDeborah B. Pitts PhD
Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRebecca T. Brown MD
Division of Geriatric Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Benjamin F. Henwood PhD
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Correspondence
Benjamin F. Henwood, University of Southern California, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1429, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHarmony Rhoades PhD
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJon Pynoos PhD
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorDeborah B. Pitts PhD
Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRebecca T. Brown MD
Division of Geriatric Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information
This study was funded by the National Institute on Aging (1R21AG050009). The viewpoints expressed in this article belong to the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health.
Abstract
Although permanent supportive housing (PSH) has been credited with a decline in the number of chronically homeless adults in the United States since 2007, the extent to which PSH can accommodate the needs of a prematurely aging population, including reducing the likelihood of falls, is unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence and correlates of falls with a sample of 237 tenants (45- to 80-year olds) from two PSH programmes in Los Angeles from 1 January 2017 to 10 August 2017. We also explore the location and severity of fall-related injury using a subsample of 66 tenants. Standard surveys queried demographics, health status, history of homelessness and falls. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the correlates of falling in the past year. More than half of the sample had fallen and more than 40% had multiple falls in the past year. Functional impairment, frailty and persistent pain were all associated with increased fall risk. For the 66 tenants who provided more detailed fall information, more than 40% fell at home and of those nearly half fell in their bathroom. Fall-related injuries were common, with more than one-third of the subsample experiencing serious injury. These findings suggest that fall prevention is needed in PSH but that more research is needed to understand the degree to which individual and environmental risk factors are contributing to falls.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflicts.
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