Occupational Therapy Group Program on Falls Prevention and Patient Education for the Older Adults Hospitalized

Number of technical assistance and home modifications implemented following discharge in both groups, in regard to the number of recommendations given during the hospitalization.

Time frame: 6 months after hospitalization discharge (patient call #2)

Number of falls followed or not by an hospitalization since the discharge.

The number of potential falls in the 6 months after discharge will be measured by a telephone call to the patient (if impossible, the call will be placed to his caregiver or nurse).

Time frame: 6 months after the hospitalization discharge (patient call #2)

Fear of falling rate

Fear of falling will be measured by the Falls Efficacy Scale I \[FES-I\] (score from 16 to 64; higher values represent a stronger fear of falling)

Time frame: At inclusion visit (visit 0; before the occupational therapy) and after the occupational therapy (visit 1; 2 weeks later)

Evaluation of balance skills in daily living activities

Balance skills will be measured by the "Equilibre et Vie Quotidienne" scale: scored from 6 (no danger) to 24 (high risk of fall with impossibility to realize the activities)

Time frame: At inclusion visit (visit 0; before the occupational therapy) and after the occupational therapy (visit 1; 2 weeks later)

Evaluation of the walking by the "Stop Walking when Talking" test

Positive test (pathological) if the subject stops walking when the therapist introduces a conversation

Time frame: At inclusion visit (visit 0; before the occupational therapy) and after the occupational therapy (visit 1; 2 weeks later)

Evaluation of the motor skills by the Minimum Motor Test

20 items distributed in 4 themes: mobility in decubitus, sitting position, standing position, walking. Each item rated from 0 (motor skill abnormal) to 1 (motor skill preserved) Total score from 0 to 20; higher values represent preserved motor skills

Time frame: At inclusion visit (visit 0; before the occupational therapy) and after the occupational therapy (visit 1; 2 weeks later)

Evaluation of the walking speed by the Timed Up and Go test.

The time of the course (in seconds) is retained as the final score. The test is positive if the score is 14 seconds or more, representing a risk of falling.

Time frame: At inclusion visit (visit 0; before the occupational therapy) and after the occupational therapy (visit 1; 2 weeks later)

Evaluation of the number of footsteps in a 10 meters walk, by the Walk test on 10 meters.

The score corresponds to the number of footsteps performed by the subject. Pathological score from 13 footsteps.

Time frame: At inclusion visit (visit 0; before the occupational therapy) and after the occupational therapy (visit 1; 2 weeks later)