The Development of Guidelines for Housing and Environmental Management of Fall Prevention among the Elderly in Chalermphrakiat District, Buriram Province

Abstract

              This action research aimed to develop guidelines for housing and environmental management for fall prevention among the elderly in Chalermphrakiat district, Buriram province. The participants came from three groups: 1) Network Partners, 32 people recruited via purposive sampling for qualitative data; 2) Network Partners, 285 people recruited via stratified random sampling; and 3) the Elderly, 331 people recruited by simple random sampling. Data was collected using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews using interview guides, questionnaires, and the Thai-FRAT. Data collection was conducted from October 2023 to September 2025. Data analysis was performed utilizing descriptive and paired t-test statistics. Content analysis was used to examine the qualitative data at the 0.05 significance level.

               The findings of the study indicated that, prior to the development of the intervention, the 331 participants were identified as being at risk of falls. of the guidelines developed for housing and environmental management for fall prevention among the elderly consisted of 3 main components:    1) Integrated Management, 2) All-level Participation, and 3) Core Activities. These included (1) home environment modification for elderly safety, (2) knowledge dissemination and practical training on fall prevention, (3) community and village health volunteer participation, and (4) home visit follow-ups and continuous reevaluation. The overall safety level related to housing and environmental management for the elderly after development and implementation of the guidelines was significantly higher than before (p-value <0.001). Moreover, the overall participation of network partners after the development and implementation was significantly higher than before (p-value < 0.001). In conclusion, improving and modifying both the indoor and outdoor environments to be suitable for the elderly’s daily living can effectively prevent falls, promote safe and sustainable living, and enhance the overall quality of life for the elderly in the community.