Katherine A Bintrim, MPH¹, Sharon Wallsten, PhD, RN², Jean Gaines, PhD, RN¹, and John Parrish, PhD¹. (1) The Erickson Foundation, 701 Maiden Choice Lane, Baltimore, MD 21228, 410-242-2880 x8501, kbintrim@ericksonmail.com, (2) Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 1147 Biology/Psychology Building, College Park, MD 20742

The purpose of this study was to describe the behaviors of residents just prior to their falls as well as the locations in which their falls occurred. The study was conducted in a CCRC with a usual census of 1900 residents living independently. Medical incident reports, analyzed over a twelve-month period, revealed an average rate of 65 falls per month. The majority of falls (77%) occurred within the residents’ apartments. The rooms with the highest percentage of falls in the apartment were the bedrooms (41%), bathrooms (20%), living rooms (19%), and kitchens (10%). The remaining (10%) falls occurred elsewhere in the apartment, such as in closets and hallways. The 23% of falls that occurred outside of the apartments were in places such as the common dining rooms, building hallways, and other campus locations. The most common behaviors prior to the fall were walking, standing, reaching and dressing. These findings suggest architectural and functional options that may enhance the safety of older adults, in their apartment and throughout the CCRC, thereby increasing their time in independent living.

Learning Objectives: "At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify the areas in a CCRC where falls most frequently occur.
• List the most frequent precipitating behaviors to falls in a CCRC.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.