A pilot study to determine the usability of the falling LinKS toolkit for older adults in two rural Kansas communities -- Restricted access to full text

Abstract

Falls among older adults (≥ 65 years) present major health and economic consequences. The WSU Falling LinKS research team developed a falls awareness and prevention toolkit tailored to rural areas in Kansas. Purpose: Evaluate the perceived usability of the Falling LinKS Toolkit by older adults in two rural Kansas communities. Methods: Thirty-one participants were given copies of the Toolkit. A survey regarding its usefulness was distributed six weeks later. Results: The majority of respondents (n=24, 77.4%) agreed that the Toolkit was easy to use (78%), useful (69.5%), and that they would recommend the Toolkit to others (60.9%). Conclusion: The Falling LinKS Toolkit is a useful resource for older adults in rural areas for fall prevention education and strategies.