Barriers and challenges in preventing falls among community-dwelling patients with dementia: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Falls are highly prevalent among individuals with dementia, largely due to the cognitive and physical impairments associated with the condition. Understanding the barriers and challenges to fall prevention in community-dwelling individuals with dementia is essential for developing tailored strategies that address their unique risks. Despite the existing evidence on fall prevention in older adults, few reviews specifically examine the obstacles faced by persons with dementia and their caregivers in community settings. This scoping review, therefore, aims to map the barriers and challenges to preventing falls among community-dwelling individuals with dementia. This review will follow Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework and be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Six electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus and Embase) will be searched for relevant studies published between 2014 and 2024. Grey literature sources, including dissertations and conference proceedings, will also be included. Data will be charted and synthesised thematically to provide an overview of barriers and contextual factors influencing fall prevention. The study commenced in August 2025 and is expected to be completed by February 2026. As this review involves the analysis of existing literature, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and summaries tailored for healthcare providers and caregiver groups. The protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/gnw47/(dataset).