Bottom line:  No published research has been identified on the use of color  in hospital settings to reduce falls other than to alert healthcare staff, but there is research on the ability to perceive color in adults with visual impairment, which affects many older patients.

Summary:  For a review of perception of color and discussion of implications for healthcare environments, see
J Clin Nurs. 2009 Feb;18(3):366-72.
Källstrand-Ericson J, Hildingh C. Visual impairment and falls: a register study.
Discussion on p. 369 includes review of literature on color perception in visual impairment.

Searched Joanna Briggs, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science

Reviewed 4/9/2014 ldt

Observational studies:

Enloe M, et al.  Falls in Acute Care: An Academic Medical Center Six-Year Review.  J Patient Safety.  2005; 1(4): 208-214.
Retrospective study of falls at an academic medical center over 6 years.  RESULTS:  Table 2 shows the unadjusted annual fall rates were 5.86/1,000 patient days on the psychiatry units and Table 3 shows that broken down by age (regardless of service the patient was on), the fall rate for patients age 55-74 was 2.90/1,000 patient days and the rate for patients ages 75 and older was 4.08/1,000 patient days.

Schwendimann R, et al.  Characteristics of hospital inpatient falls across clinical departments.  Gerontology. 2008;54(6):342-8
Prospective study at 1,300 bed academic hospital over 13 weeks.  RESULTS:  Rate of falls on geriatrics units was 10.7/1,000 patient days.

Kerzman H, et al.  Characteristics of falls in hospitalized patients.  J Adv Nursing 2004; 47(2), 223–229.
Retrospective study of falls at a 2000-bed medical center in 1998.  RESULTS:  The rates of falls was 115/1,000 hospital admissions in the geriatric wards and 91 per 1,000 admissions in the psychiatric wards.  Rates per 1,000 inpatient days were not reported.