• Briana L Moreland, Laura L Durbin, Judith D Kasper, and Thelma J Mielenz.
• Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, New York, NY. Electronic address: blm2143@caa.columbia.edu.
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018 Aug 1; 99 (8): 1568-1575.

ObjectiveTo determine the characteristics of community-dwelling older adults receiving fall-related rehabilitation.DesignCross-sectional analysis of the fifth round (2015) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Fall-related rehabilitation utilization was analyzed using weighted multinomial logistic regression with SEs adjusted for the sample design.SettingIn-person interviews of a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults.ParticipantsMedicare beneficiaries from NHATS (N=7062).InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcomes MeasuresRehabilitation utilization categorized into fall-related rehabilitation, other rehabilitation, or no rehabilitation.ResultsFall status (single fall: odds ratio [OR]=2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52-5.77; recurrent falls: OR=14.21; 95% CI, 7.45-27.10), fear of falling (OR=3.11; 95% CI, 1.90-5.08), poor Short Physical Performance Battery scores (score 0: OR=6.62; 95% CI, 3.31-13.24; score 1-4: OR=4.65; 95% CI, 2.23-9.68), and hip fracture (OR=3.24; 95% CI, 1.46-7.20) were all associated with receiving fall-related rehabilitation. Lower education level (less than high school diploma compared with 4-y college degree: OR=.21; 95% CI, .11-.40) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR=.37; 95% CI, .15-.87) were associated with not receiving fall-related rehabilitation.ConclusionsHispanic older adults and older adults who are less educated are less likely to receive fall-related rehabilitation. Recurrent fallers followed by those who fell once in the past year were more likely to receive fall-related rehabilitation than are older adults who have not had a fall in the past year.Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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