Performance Testing of “CHULA Home Modification Checklist for Older Person” for Screening Tool to Identify Homes at Higher Risk of Falling

Abstract

Objective: to test the performance of the "CHULA Home Modification Checklist for Older Person" to identify homes at higher risk of falling and guiding home modifications.

Methods: The study used cross-sectional data. Participants were 84 elderly attending the geriatric clinic at Saraburi hospital from October 2022 to October 2023. Data on health factors, history of falls in the last six months, and home assessments using the "CHULA Home Modification Checklist for Older Person" were collected. Average scores from this checklist were compared with the fall history data (Gold standard) to find an appropriate cut point from the sensitivity and specificity values derived from the receiver operating characteristic curve (area under the ROC curve).

Results: The study found that out of 84 elderly, 28 (33%) had experienced falls in the past six months. The area under the curve (AUC) showing the relationship between the average score of the "Chula Home Modification Checklist For Older Person" and the fall history was 0.5255 (95% confidence interval 0.55-0.78). At an average score cut point of 0.95, the sensitivity and specificity were 85% and 19%, respectively

Conclusion: the "Chula Home Modification Checklist For Older Person" can be a screening tool for at-risk homes and should be considered for environmental modifications for the elderly, with an average score cut point of 0.95.