Research Associate Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore, Maryland
Older adults face a high risk of home injury, which poses a significant threat to health and independence. While there are existing home visiting models intended to support the health of older adults, many focus predominantly on falls-related hazards, potentially missing a range of other risks in the home. This poster will present findings from a review of National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) data on housing elements related to injury among older adults. Findings will include common elements associated with injury and preliminary recommendations for injury prevention measures. We will also outline the Older Adults Staying Independent and Safe (OASIS) tool, a proposed home assessment tool to improve home safety for older adults based on this research. We will describe our forthcoming work to refine, implement, and evaluate this tool, including a formative stage incorporating the perspectives of older adults and home modifiers on the tool, a pilot of the tool in 100 homes in Baltimore, and a dissemination stage where we will synthesize program results and findings into recommendations for home modification teams.
Learning Objectives:
By attending this session, attendees will:
Understand some of the main housing elements associated with injuries to older adults and the precipitating factors contributing to such injuries
Identify potential promising solutions to some of the most common home injury risks in the home of older adults
Develop recommendations for the inclusion of risk reductions measures in programs that address environmental risks in the homes of seniors
