Falls in the Independent Living Glenaire Community

Abstract

Falls are a major issue in the geriatric community and lead to premature incapacitation as well as direct and indirect loss of life. Glenaire is a continuing care retirement facility in Cary, North Carolina. Glenaire recently opened a state-of-the-art Balance Center in order to reduce the incidence of falls by their residents. This addition to the facility could be a great asset to the residents; however, they have not been taking advantage of the Balance Center. This project had two fundamental goals: assess Glenaire's independent living resident's understanding of their susceptibility to falls and the severity of the consequences of falls, and to identify ways to increase usage of the Balance Center. Data collected from 29 residents indicate that the independent living residents know their age group is susceptible to falling due to physical deterioration and mental complacency, among other things. They also recognize that falls can have severe consequences like bruises, broken bones and concussions. Even with this basis of knowledge, they do not think they are personally susceptible. Recommendations to Glenaire include a marketing plan to expand their resident's knowledge and awareness of fall prevention and to increase awareness of the benefits of the Balance Center. If independent living residents feel more susceptible to the threat of falling, perceive the threat as severe, and they see the Balance Center as a way to reduce the threat then they will be more likely to use it.