Expansion of a Fall Prevention Home Assessment Program in Partnership with Faith Community Nurse Program

Background: With the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) receiving approximately 3500 calls last year related to falls at home, collaborative efforts are needed to combat this high prevalence of falls in the community. Fort Worth Safe Communities Falls Prevention Task force (FPTF) expanded their fall prevention programs in the community by providing home and environmental safety education for faith communities. Members of the FPTF developed and evaluated a training for Faith Community Nurses. Methods: Trainees were recruited by Texas Health Resources’ Faith Community Nursing Program to participate in a three-hour training provided by the FPTF. Participants received information about fall hazards and community resources related to fall prevention. Participants received training on using the FWFD’s home evaluation assessment tool and practiced using this tool to identify fall hazards in a room decorated to stimulate a home environment. Pre and post evaluation surveys asked trainees to assess the overall quality of the training, and rated their knowledge and skills using a pre-post 4-point Likert-scale. Results: The participants rated their knowledge of fall risks, fall factors, the FWFD’s home assessment tool and community resources that prevent falls before and after the training. In all areas, participants’ knowledge and confidence level increased after the training. The biggest increase came in knowledge in using the home assessment tool, with the average on the 4-point scale, increasing from a 2.21 to a 3.77. The next largest increases came in awareness of the factors that lead to falls (3.00-3.62) and talking about community resources for preventing falls (2.50-3.15). The smallest increase came in identifying fall risks, which increased from a 3.07 to a 3.54. 78.5% of the participants also agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more confident and planned to continue helping older adults. 100% agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend the training. Analysis of qualitative feedback indicated the resources provided in the training, and the sample fall room were very helpful in learning about falls. Conclusions: Results suggest that Faith Community Nurses benefit from this training, based on the increases in knowledge of falls and confidence in helping older adults. This training will allow for expansion of the home safety assessment component to fall risk reduction in the faith community.