Evaluating <i>The Safe Living Guide</i>: A Home Hazard Checklist for Seniors

Sorcinelli, Andrea; Shaw, Lynn; Freeman, Andrew J.; Cooper, Kim D.

doi:10.3138/cja.26.2.127

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Thirty studies reported inter-rater reliability [ 8 , 14 , 15 , 19 , 23 , 51 , 54 , 57 – 59 , 72 , 77 , 80 , 81 , 84 , 85 , 98 , 103 , 106 , 110 – 112 , 115 , 120 – 123 , 133 , 135 , 152 ]; fewer reported test-retest reliability [ 36 , 81 , 98 , 122 ] or internal consistency [ 53 , 81 , 86 , 97 ]. The inter-rater reliability of checklists, when used by professional and lay older adult pairs, was reported in four studies; three showed that professionals identified more hazards than lay older adults [ 23 , 111 , 133 ] and one showed that lay older adults reported more of some hazards, while professionals reported more of other hazards [ 110 ]. Further, the reliability of items on a checklist was often reported as excellent for some but poor for others [ 8 , 19 , 58 , 80 , 103 , 110 , 111 , 115 , 121 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A need to improve the assessment of environmental hazards for falls on stairs and in bathrooms: results of a scoping review

Blanchet

Edwards

2018

BMC Geriatr

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BackgroundFalls occurring on stairs or in bathrooms are associated with a high risk of injuries among older adults. Home environmental assessments are frequently used to guide fall-prevention interventions. The aims of this review were to describe how, where, by whom, and for whom environmental hazard checklists are used, and to examine the characteristics of environmental hazard assessment checklists with specific attention to features of bathrooms and stairs/steps assessed in them.MethodsStudies published before January 5, 2018, were identified using several databases. Publications reporting the use and/or evaluation of environmental hazard checklists were eligible if they assessed bathrooms or stairs/steps in homes of older adults (≥65 years). Content analysis was conducted on publications that provided a complete list of specific environmental hazards assessed. Checklist items related to bathrooms and stairs/steps were extracted and categorized as structural or non-structural and as objective or subjective.Results1119 studies were appraised. A pool of 136 published articles and 4 checklists from the grey literature were included in this scoping review. Content analysis was conducted on 42 unique checklists. There was no widely used checklist and no obvious consensus definition of either environmental hazards overall or of single hazards listed in checklists. Checklists varied greatly with respect to what rooms were assessed, whether or not outdoor stair/steps hazards were assessed, and how responses were coded. Few checklists examined person-environment fit. The majority of checklists were not oriented towards structural hazards in bathrooms. Although the majority of checklists assessing stair/steps hazards evaluated structural hazards, most features assessed were not related to the construction geometry of stairs/steps. Objective features of bathrooms and stairs/steps that would deem them safe were rarely specified. Rather, adequacy of their characteristics was mostly subjectively determined by the evaluator with little or no guidance or training.ConclusionThe lack of standard definitions and objective criteria for assessing environmental hazards for falls is limiting meaningful cross-study comparisons and slowing advances in this field. To inform population health interventions aimed at preventing falls, such as building code regulations or municipal housing by-laws, it is essential to include objectively-assessed structural hazards in environmental checklists.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-018-0958-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A need to improve the assessment of environmental hazards for falls on stairs and in bathrooms: results of a scoping review

Blanchet

Edwards

2018

BMC Geriatr

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“…The extensive literature search, which included publications from the elds of nursing and physical therapy, generated a long list of fall hazards potentially present in the home. [8][9][10][11][12][13] Given that the Transport PLUS intervention was to be administered by EMTs, and not overly extend the amount of time the EMTs were spending in the home, we developed a simple, brief, and manageable checklist. The fall hazards selected for the checklist were those that are common, easily assessed with a high degree of inter-rater reliability, modi able by the patient or their caregiver, and most likely to make an impact on patients' risk of falls in the home.…”

Section: Development Of the Transport Plus Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of the Transport PLUS Intervention to Improve the Transitions of Care for Patients Transported Home by Ambulance: A Non-Randomized Pilot Study

Munjal

Yeturu

Chapin

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Background: The growing population of patients over the age of 65 faces particular vulnerability following discharge after hospitalization or an emergency room visit. Specific areas of concern include a high risk for falls and poor comprehension of discharge instructions. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), who frequently transport these patients home from the hospital, are uniquely positioned to aid in mitigating transition of care risks and are both trained and utilized to do so using the Transport PLUS intervention. Methods: Existing literature and focus groups of various stakeholders were utilized to develop two checklists: the Fall Safety Assessment (FSA) and the Discharge Comprehension Assessment (DCA). EMTs were trained to administer the intervention to eligible patients in the geriatric population. Using data from the checklists, follow-up phone calls, and electronic health records, we measured the presence of hazards, removal of hazards, presence of discharge comprehension issues, and correction or reinforcement of comprehension. These results were validated during home visits by community health workers (CHWs). Feasibility outcomes included patient acceptance of the Transport PLUS intervention and accuracy of the EMT assessment. Qualitative feedback via focus groups was also obtained. Clinical outcomes measured included 3-day and 30-day readmission or ED revisit. Results: 103 EMTs were trained to administer the intervention and participated in 439 patient encounters. The intervention was determined to be feasible, and patients were highly amenable to the intervention, as evidenced by a 92% and 74% acceptance rate of the DCA and FSA, respectively. The majority of patients also reported that they found the intervention helpful (90%), and self-reported removing 40% of fall hazards; 85% of such changes were validated by CHWs. Readmission/revisit rates are also reported.Conclusions: The Transport PLUS intervention is a feasible, easily implemented tool in preventative community paramedicine with high levels of patient acceptance. Further study is merited to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing rates of readmission or revisit. A randomized control trial has since begun utilizing the knowledge gained within this study. Trial Registration: Not Applicable

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“…Two of the paper-based tools included an interview component in addition to the checklist to obtain additional information from people residing in the home (Tanner, 2003;You et al, 2004). In two paper-based tools, furniture, steps, and equipment were measured using measurement tapes (Sorcinelli et al 2007;Spiliotopoulou et al, 2018). In contrast to paper-based tools, only four technology-based tools used checklists.…”

Section: Tools Sectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Five paper-based tools, and two teleconferencing-based tools included items assessing problems while transitioning from outdoors to indoors in the form of high stairs, steps, and/or thresholds at the entrance. Only two paper-based tools accounted for the presence or absence of railings or outdoor grab bars (Horowitz et al, 2013;Sorcinelli et al, 2007). A considerable number of tools included attributes of the entrance door and accessories like doorbells, door knobs and floor mats as an environmental barrier.…”

Section: Built Environment Assessment Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identifying Key Components of Paper-Based and Technology-Based Home Assessment Tools Using a Narrative Literature Review

Mihandoust

Joshi

Joseph

et al. 2020

Journal of Aging and Environment

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Evaluating The Safe Living Guide: A Home Hazard Checklist for Seniors

Abstract: This guide can be used with confidence by seniors and community-based caregivers for evaluating hazards and identifying opportunities in order to support and prolong safe, independent living in the community.

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

A need to improve the assessment of environmental hazards for falls on stairs and in bathrooms: results of a scoping review

A need to improve the assessment of environmental hazards for falls on stairs and in bathrooms: results of a scoping review

Feasibility of the Transport PLUS Intervention to Improve the Transitions of Care for Patients Transported Home by Ambulance: A Non-Randomized Pilot Study

Identifying Key Components of Paper-Based and Technology-Based Home Assessment Tools Using a Narrative Literature Review

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