Fall Prevention Program Guideline

Provides an overview of the essential components of a fall prevention program. The guideline serves to increase staff knowledge/awareness of the clinical process steps, and may also function as an in-service handout.
 
Steps Purpose Strategies
Fall Risk Assessment To identify fall and injury risk Factors to Assess:
  • Diseases
  • Drugs
  • Cognition
  • Elimination
  • Ambulation Aids
  • Mobility

When to Assess:
  • Upon Admission
  • Change of Condition
  • Medication changes
  • Post-Fall
Care Plan To design strategies aimed at reducing fall/injury risk Multidisciplinary strategies targeted at identified risk factors
Post Fall Assessment To identify why fall occurred/to prevent further falls Components:
  • Rule out injury
  • Circumstances of fall (symptoms, location, activity
  • Environmental hazards
  • Reassess fall risk factors
  • Root Cause Analysis (why fall occurred?)
Follow-Up To determine whether intervention(s) are working to reduce fall risk If no falls, continue care plan. If falls, ask why? Revisit risk assessment/care plan

Tideiksaar, R. Falls in Older People: Prevention and Management. 4th Edition.
Health Professions Press, Baltimore, MD 2010

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