Older Chinese adults’ perspectives on hospital-based health education for falls prevention

Background: Providing patients with health education is essential for safe and effective health care; however, equitable access to health information for older migrant patients in hospital remains limited. Aim: To explore older Chinese adults’ experiences of accessing health education in Australian hospitals, with a focus on receiving falls prevention education. Methods: A presentation on hospital falls prevention guided by the Safe Recovery patient falls prevention education programme was delivered to older Chinese adults at a community centre in Western Australia. Subsequently, a purposive sample (aged 65+ years; n = 21) previously admitted to hospital participated in semi-structured interviews in their preferred language to reflect on their experiences of accessing health education in hospital and their perspectives on the Safe Recovery resources. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis. Results: Three themes emerged: (1) health education was challenging to engage with and not inclusive; (2) participants regarded falls as inevitable, frightening and a threat to their safety; and (3) Safe Recovery resources were engaging and enabling. Language barriers hindered effective communication, and families were preferred over interpreters, who were viewed as unreliable. Participants responded positively to the Safe Recovery resources but recommended additional cultural tailoring to enhance their relatability to Chinese patients. Conclusion: Culturally tailored, family-centred education can engage older Chinese migrants in hospital by improving equitable access. Falls prevention education is urgently required.