The home environment has been implicated in one-
third to one-half of all falls or injurious fall events in older
persons.
5,6 Thus, it seems sensible to identify potential en-
vironmental hazards and to modify the home environment
to reduce the fall risk. However, observational epidemio-
logical studies have shown that only minor differences in
environmental hazards exist between the homes of fallers
and nonfallers.
2,7–11 Only one study has shown that, in a
subgroup of older patients, a facilitated home modification
program after hospital discharge was effective in reducing
falls.
12 Otherwise modification of home environment with-
out other components of multifactorial intervention have
not been beneficial.
9,13–16