Objective: To investigate an Internet-based psychological intervention targeting behavioral factors related to falls among residents of long-term care communities.
Design: Retrospective A-B design with 90-day look-back.
Setting: Long-term care communities in New York State (N=4, 3 SNF, 1 ALF).
Participants: Nursing home residents (N=26).
Intervention: Internet-based programmed learning system using cognitive- and behavioral-based techniques.
Measurements: Direct measures of documented falls in the medical record, perceived risk and burden scales, Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Attitudes to Falls-Related Interventions Scale (AFRIS).
Results: Reductions in documented falls by 52% along with substantial reductions in staff ratings of risk and burden.
Conclusion: Behavioral treatment of risk factors related to falls within a structured delivery using Internet-based intervention may be an effective and efficient mechanism for treating fall risk in long-term care settings.