2012 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 3-15
[Objective] To analyze the circumstances of accidental falls, including the time, place, and type of falls, among elderly persons in residential care institutions. [Participants] One hundred and forty six residents of 7 institutions. [Design] Retrospective design. [Procedure] Fall events in the past year in the accident reports of each institution were analyzed. [Results] There were reports of 209 falls by 74 participants. Most falls occurred in the participant’s room. The most frequent type of fall was from a standing or walking position. The peak occurrences were at 06:00, 09:00, and 19:00 hr. The time-line analysis showed that falls around the bed in the participant’s room, especially during transfer to or from bed, frequently occurred at night. However, many daytime falls were associated with activities in the dining room, corridors, and the toilet. Falls were most frequent when the participant moved in association with getting in or out of bed, breakfast, drinking tea, and dinner. [Discussion] Since the circumstances in which falls occurred varied with the daily schedule of life at the institution, a fall prevention program should be developed that takes into account the schedule of life at the individual institution.
