Fall Risk Identification and Management for Older Veterans

Conditions

• Fall Risk

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

65 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Strengthening (Physical Therapy, Gerofit) — OTHER
  Individuals with physical fall risk will be referred to strengthening interventions available within the VHA. These may include Physical Therapy or Gerofit (a supervised exercise program).
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy) — OTHER
  Individuals with psychological fall risk will be referred psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on guided talking. This can be performed by VHA occupational therapists and clinical psychologists.
• Medication Reconciliation (Clinical Pharmacology) — OTHER
  Individuals with pharmacological fall risk will be referred to clinical pharmacology for medication reconciliation. This includes examining the current medication list and deprescribing medications, if appropriate.
• Home Safety Modification (Occupational Therapy) — OTHER
  Individuals with environmental fall risk will be referred to occupational therapy for home safety assessments and modifications. This will involve modifying components within the home to reduce potential fall risk factors.

Study Details

Falls are a common occurrence among older adults, and Veterans have an even higher risk of falling compared to non-Veterans. These falls often lead to severe health consequences, including traumatic brain injuries, hip fractures, emergency visits, hospitalizations, and even death. It is crucial to prioritize fall prevention in order to reduce injuries and enable older Veterans to age comfortably at home. Although current fall prevention programs in the Veterans Health Administration primarily focus on inpatient care and nursing homes, there is a pressing need to address falls among older Veterans living independently in the community. The proposed VA-specific Fall Risk Identification and Management (FRIM) model aims to proactively prevent falls in older Veterans who receive primary care, effectively reducing the occurrence of adverse health events associated with falls. By placing emphasis on prevention rather than reacting after falls have already happened, this initiative seeks to significantly enhance the overall well-being of older Veterans.

Key Dates

Start date

Feb 4, 2025

Status verified

Aug 2025

Primary completion

Dec 31, 2028

Completion

Sep 30, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment

108 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: Fall Risk Identification and Management Model
  Participants will be assessed on four fall risk factors including physical, psychological, pharmacological, and environmental. If a participant screens positive for a fall risk factor, they will then be referred to an existing VHA care pathway. The care pathways include: strengthening via physical therapy or Gerofit for physical fall risk, cognitive behavioral therapy via clinical psychology or occupational therapy for psychological fall risk, deprescription via clinical pharmacy for pharmacological fall risk, and home safety modifications via occupational therapy for environmental fall risk.
• No Intervention: Standard of care
  This group will received current standard of care within the Rocky Mountain Regional GeriPACT clinic.

Primary Outcome Measure

Participant recruitment [ Time Frame: Program start ]

Central Contacts

• Alexander J Garbin, PhD DPT
  (563) 340-7121
  [email protected]
• Jennifer E Stevens-Lapsley, PhD
  (303) 949-9304
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Aurora, CO

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