A pilot exploration of the effect of designated Function Focused Care on mobility, functional dependence and falls frequency in Dutch nursing home residents

In recent years, there has been a gradual change in nursing home care from care providers doing as many things as possible for residents to a philosophy where patients are encouraged to become more involved in their care and activities of daily living. Function Focused Care (FFC) is a methodology to stimulate the involvement of residents on a daily basis that has shown to be safe and effective in improving ADL-functioning. We implemented FFC in four nursing homes with 53 residents. This first pilot project in Dutch nursing homes has replicated the finding that FFC inspires functional independence, but also revealed a reduction in the number of falls among fallers.