Fall Prevention
Too many times fall prevention measures only happen after a resident fall has occurred. But, fall prevention strategies in long term care/continuing care should begin long before a fall happens. And, while it should be acknowledged that all resident falls may not be preventable, strategies to mitigate resident falls should always begin with facility wide comprehensive education and training. All facility staff members have a responsibility in helping to prevent resident falls- it’s all hands on deck! And committing to an effort to go beyond the typical fall prevention strategies will further decrease the risk of resident falls. For example, instituting formalized clinical team rounding may discover subtle or significant resident changes in physical, cognitive or psychological functioning that may contribute to a fall. Utilizing a resident FRAILTY risk score (a decline in physiological function) as a measure of predicting falls is much more appropriate than utilizing chronological age and diagnosis alone. Frailty scoring also helps frame communication around care planning, next level of care placement and supports resource utilization as well.
To find out more about our Fall Prevention Program including Frailty assessing and scoring, as well as resident risk management assist, please reach out to our Senior Director:
/ 607.316.6576
