Robin Blanchard, University of Waterloo

Reliability, construct validity, and clinical feasibility of the activities-specific fall caution scale for residential living seniors

Fear of falling is common among older adults and can lead to physical decline and poor quality of life. Most of the research done on fear of falling has been done with seniors in the community. More such research is required in the long-term care setting. Ms. Blanchard and her colleagues developed a new tool, called the Activities-specific Fall Caution (AFC) Scale, to examine fall concerns in seniors living in long-term care (nursing homes, assisted living).

Seniors completed the AFC scale during interviews conducted by Ms. Blanchard and her colleagues. In addition, some seniors were asked to complete three physical assessments of balance, walk speed, and lower body mobility. To examine the reliability of the scale, a group completed the scale again after 48 hours (with nursing home staff) or after two weeks (with the researchers).

Currently, the AFC tool is being used in the field of long-term care for research studies and as part of routine fall risk assessments. Ultimately, the tool helps to identify residents who are most at risk of falling. Appropriate interventions to minimize or prevent falls can then be planned.

Ms. Blanchard is presently working on her PhD dissertation, which looks at the mobility of older adults through driving. She intends to pursue a career in academia in the field of mobility and aging. This project provided her with experience in working with both assisted living and nursing home populations. She also gained expertise in scale construction, which helped her assist with the development of another mobility-related tool, the Driving Comfort Scales.