Recruiting

Fall Risk Identification

Sponsor:

VA Office of Research and Development

Code:

NCT06573983

Conditions

Fall Risk

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Strengthening (Physical Therapy, Gerofit)

Medication Reconciliation (Clinical Pharmacology)

Home Safety Modification (Occupational Therapy)

Study Details

Brief summary:

Falls are a common occurrence among older adults, and Veterans have an even higher risk of falling compared to non-Veterans. These falls often lead to severe health consequences, including traumatic brain injuries, hip fractures, emergency visits, hospitalizations, and even death. It is crucial to prioritize fall prevention in order to reduce injuries and enable older Veterans to age comfortably at home. Although current fall prevention programs in the Veterans Health Administration primarily focus on inpatient care and nursing homes, there is a pressing need to address falls among older Veterans living independently in the community. The proposed VA-specific Fall Risk Identification and Management (FRIM) model aims to proactively prevent falls in older Veterans who receive primary care, effectively reducing the occurrence of adverse health events associated with falls. By placing emphasis on prevention rather than reacting after falls have already happened, this initiative seeks to significantly enhance the overall well-being of older Veterans.

Conditions

Fall Risk

Study ID

NCT06573983

Start date

Feb 4, 2025

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Sep 30, 2029

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Receives care within GeriPACT, or general PACT as needed (Aim 1); Receives care within general PACT (standard VHA primary care) (Aim 2)
  • Screens positive for increased fall risk (answers "yes" to any of 3 screening questions)
  • Positive screen on at least two fall risk factor assessments (Aim 1); Positive screen on at least one fall risk factor assessment (Aim 2)
  • Access to telehealth
  • Availability of an additional adult (e.g., caregiver or family member) to be present during the physical assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Life expectancy <12 months, as determined by PCP
  • Neurological diagnosis (e.g., cerebral vascular accident, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease)
  • Moderate cognitive impairment (<13 on telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BLIND) or <18 on MoCA Full administered during clinic visit in the previous 3 months)
  • Unstable condition that precludes safe participation in structured exercise (e.g., recent deep vein thrombosis) if expected fall risk factor is physical, as determined by PCP or chart review
  • Participation in any intervention components of the FRIM model, with the intention of reducing a FRIM fall risk factor, within the past 2 months
  • Currently using a wheelchair for mobilization
  • If it is in the opinion of the study staff that the participant would be at an increased suicide risk due to study procedures

Study Design

Enrollment

108 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Fall Risk Identification and Management Model

Participants will be assessed on three fall risk factors including physical, pharmacological, and environmental. If a participant screens positive for a fall risk factor, they will then be referred to an existing VHA care pathway. The care pathways include: strengthening via physical therapy or Gerofit for physical fall risk, deprescription via clinical pharmacy for pharmacological fall risk, and home safety modifications via occupational therapy for environmental fall risk.

no intervention: Standard of care

This group will receive VHA primary care current standard of care.

Interventions

Strengthening (Physical Therapy, Gerofit)

Individuals with physical fall risk will be referred to strengthening interventions available within the VHA. These may include Physical Therapy or Gerofit (a supervised exercise program).

Medication Reconciliation (Clinical Pharmacology)

Individuals with pharmacological fall risk will be referred to clinical pharmacology for medication reconciliation. This includes examining the current medication list and deprescribing medications, if appropriate.

Home Safety Modification (Occupational Therapy)

Individuals with environmental fall risk will be referred to occupational therapy for home safety assessments and modifications. This will involve modifying components within the home to reduce potential fall risk factors.

Primary outcome measure

  • Participant recruitment [ Time Frame: Program start ]
  • Participant retention [ Time Frame: Program start - 1 year post baseline ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Alexander J Garbin, PhD DPT

(563) 340-7121Alexander.Garbin@va.gov

Jennifer E Stevens-Lapsley, PhD

(303) 949-9304Jennifer.Stevens-Lapsley@va.gov

Locations

Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO

Recruiting

Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045-7211

Contacts

Alexander J Garbin, PhD DPT

(563) 340-7121Alexander.Garbin@va.gov

Principal Investigator:

Alexander J Garbin, PhD DPT

More Information

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Last update posted

Aug 14, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • Falls
  • Telerehabilitation
  • Multifactorial
  • Preventative
  • Personalized

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by VA Office of Research and Development on 2026-08-14.