East Harbor Older Adult

Interview, Assessment,
and Conclusions
Sophia Neuenfeldt sophia.neuenfeldt@med.wayne.edu
Gregory Schwing gregory.schwing@med.wayne.edu
  Separate students visited East Harbor 3 times over several months
 Each student was to:
 Conduct an environmental scan
 Survey the Staff
 Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) surveys or
Wayne State wheelchair assessment
 Have a tour of the Facility
Service  Stay overnight
Learning  Personalized interviews
Project  Student 1 – Past
 Student 2 – Present
 Student 3 – Future
  Have first hand experience interacting with a growing population
of their future patients
 Practicing patient interview skills, professionalism, and history
taking
Older Adult  Make personal connections and have insight as to the daily
Personal struggles that older adults face
 Student Impressions
Interview –  “Our team was struck by the struggles that the older adults face
Student everyday with regard to avoiding falls, as well as by the toll that falls
take on both the physiological and psychological wellbeing of the
benefits and patients.”
 “Our visit to the extended care facility allowed us to have a more
Impressions nuanced understanding of why older adults might fall. Falls are not
only age and atrophy related: they may be due to a variety of factors
that extend beyond the body (medications, environmental
obstacles, pathology, etc.).”
 East Harbor N=28 older adults
Question Initial Visit Final Visit Percent
Percent Yes Percent Yes Change

Results from Fall Recently? 45.83 33.33 -12.5

Steady Bathroom 62.5 58.33 -4.17
Assessment Urgency?

Feel unsteady? 41.67 45.83 +4.16

STEADI Score First Last Change

7.2 6.6 -0.6

  Across all facilities visited
 Overall average decrease in reported incidents of falls
 3.1%
 East Harbor – Decrease of 12.5%
 Overall average decease in loss of balance/unsteadiness when
walking
 7.0%
Conclusions  East Harbor – Decrease of 4.2%
 Overall decrease in the need to rush to the restroom
 1.5%
 East Harbor – Increase of 4.2%

 Despite these , little change was observed in overall STEADI score.

 East Harbor score change – 7.2 6.6
  Future analysis will focus on assessing fall risk results
between visits to determine which risk factors are most
relevant.
Going Forward  Results from the environmental scan and staff assessment
will also be studied, to determine issues in facility
environment with specific patient fall risks.
 Relevant age, ethnicity, education and income of older
adult at the extended care facility, will be assessed to
determine impact on all risk and prevention strategies.