Abstract

The increasing rate of falls among older adults is a health concern that may lead to injuries and reduced quality of life. At the project site there was no systematic process to impact fall rates, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the translation of Li et al.'s research regarding the Tai Chi fall prevention program would impact the rate of falls among adults 65 years and older. The project was piloted over 12 weeks in a community-based setting in urban New York. Imogene King's goal attainment theory and Kurt Lewin's change model provided the scientific underpinnings of the project. The project included 53 participants measured at baseline and post-implementation. Data on falls were collected from the electronic health record and analyzed using a paired t-test. The results showed a statistically and clinically significant decrease in the mean number of falls per patient from baseline (M = 1.74, SD = .84) to post-implementation (M = .30, SD = .50), t (52) = 13.52, p = .001. Clinical significance was supported by the 82.8% decrease in mean falls following the implementation. Based on these findings, the implementation of Li et al.'s research on the Tai Chi fall prevention program may impact fall rates in this population. Recommendations include sustaining the project at the site and disseminating the results.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 31298004; ProQuest document ID: 3054372244. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Shabnampreet Kaur, DNP

Sigma Membership

Unknown

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Fall Prevention, Elderly Adults, Tai Chi

Advisor

JoAnna Cartwright

Second Advisor

Anne George

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Grand Canyon University

Degree Year

2024

Rights Holder

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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2024-06-20

Full Text of Presentation

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