Some new research suggests that even adoption of all of the
best practice falls management components may not always produce
improvements in fall or fall injury rates when conducted by
in-house nursing home staff rather than research teams.16,21-24 A
possible explanation for this difference could be that having evidence-
based, best practice content for a nursing home falls management
program may be of little value unless that nursing home
also has open, inclusive, process features. Another consideration
may be that improved staff knowledge alone does not necessarily
translate into improved care outcomes, as has been demonstrated
during training for staff serving older people with dementia.25
While knowledge may be important, there are other critical components
for successful interventions including problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills.26-28 Future research should
consider a study of what happens after nursing homes receive
relevant information about best practice falls management.