An analysis of fall incidence rate and risk factors in an inpatient rehabilitation unit: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate prediction of fall likelihood is advantageous for instituting fall prevention program in rehabilitation facilities. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine the clinical measures, which can predict the risk of fall events in a rehabilitation hospital. METHODS: Medical records of 166 patients (114 males and 52 females) who were hospitalized in an adult inpatient unit of a rehabilitation hospital were retrospectively analyzed for this study. As predictor variables for assessing fall risk, demographic data and the following measurements were selectively collected from patient's medical records: Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment-Ambulation (POMA-G), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 10 m walk test, 2 min walk test, Korean version Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (KMBI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), and Morse Fall Scale (Morse FS). RESULTS: The Morse FS, TUG, and age were found to be risk factors for the classification of faller and non-faller groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests Morse FS, TUG, and age in the routine initial assessment upon admission in a rehabilitation setting, as key variables for screening the risk of fall. Additionally, the cutoff scores of Morse FS and TUG were observed to be more rigid than other clinical settings.

Development and Evaluation of a Classified and Tailored Community-Based Exercise Program According to the Mobility Level of People with Stroke Using the Knowledge to Action Framework.

Attempts to classify the mobility levels of people with stroke (PWS) for a tailored exercise program in community settings have been few. We developed and evaluated a classified and tailored community-based (CTC) exercise program according to the mobility level of PWS. Forty-two PWS were classified into the Supine and Sitting, Sitting and Standing, and Standing and Gait groups, based on a newly developed classification model and participated in a group-based CTC exercise program for 1 h/day twice/week for 10 weeks. The health outcome measures were blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose control, body composition, ventilatory capacity, and physical and psychological function. The rate of agreement on classification results among the physiotherapists was analysed. For all participants, significant improvements were noted in the blood pressure, lipid profile, body composition, ventilatory capacity, and physical and psychological function. The lower mobility groups showed significant improvements in a greater number of health outcomes than the higher mobility group. The physiotherapists' agreement regarding the classification results was 91.16 ± 5.14%, verifying the model's possible high relevance to the community. The effective improvement in participant health implied that the CTC exercise program was well tailored to the participants' mobility levels, particularly the lower mobility groups.