Falls occur frequently and repeatedly among nursing home residents and cause about 1800 deaths each year. By 2020, the annual direct and indirect cost of fall injuries is expected to reach $54.9 billion. Although auto-alert systems have been developed to detect and report falls of the elderly in the community, fewer were developed for the nursing home setting and are not suited for this setting due to the unique challenges in nursing homes. This paper analyzes the human factors challenges in falls prevention in nursing homes through interviews, observations, and work analysis. Implications and guidelines for developing fall prevention technologies for nursing homes are discussed.
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