Citation

Leland NE, Elliott SJ, O'Malley L, Murphy SL. Am. J. Occup. Ther. 2012; 66(2): 149-160.

Affiliation

Natalie E. Leland, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, is Assistant Professor, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, and Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003; nleland@usc.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Occupational Therapy Association)

DOI

10.5014/ajot.2012.002733

PMID

22394524

Abstract

Falls are a serious public health concern among older adults in the United States. Although many fall prevention recommendations exist, such as those published by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) in 2010, the specific role of occupational therapy in these efforts is unclear. This article presents a scoping review of current published research documenting the role of occupational therapy in fall prevention interventions among community-dwelling older adults, structured by the AGS and BGS guidelines. We identified evidence for occupational therapy practitioner involvement in fall prevention in environmental modifications, exercise, and multifactorial and multicomponent interventions. Although research documenting the efficacy of occupational therapy interventions is identified as part of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (2nd ed.; American Occupational Therapy Association, 2008), we identified little or no such research examining interventions to modify behaviors (e.g., fear of falling), manage postural hypotension, recommend appropriate footwear, and manage medications. Although occupational therapy is represented in the fall prevention research, the evidence for the profession's role in many areas is still lacking.

Language: en