Fall Prevention Program

Reduce The Risk Of Falls At Your Facility

Falls are the second leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations for all ages (Canadian Institute of Health Information, 2004). The fall-related injury rate is nine times greater among seniors (over 65 years of age) and cause over 90% of all hip fractures (Tinetti & Williams, 1997).  For every $1 invested in falls prevention for seniors, $7 in healthcare costs can be saved and Canada could save $130 million annually by reducing falls by 20%  (Public Agency of Canada, 2009).

Introducing the pt Health Falls Prevention Program

Our falls prevention program aims to:

• Enhance Residents’ quality of life through meeting their individualized needs.
• Promote a consistent assessment and intervention approach to prevent and manage falls.
• Increase safety by reducing falls and the associated injuries in residents.
• Focus on the well-being of the residents by providing individualized fall prevention or fall management care plan.
• Increase interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Provide education for residents, their family members and facility staff about steps to prevent falls and the associated injuries.
• Enable independence and functional mobility by implementing structured therapeutic programs to enhance physical and cognitive abilities.
• Provide ongoing evaluation of the Falls Prevention Program through the use of pt Health score cards.

A Proactive Approach To Falls Prevention

In compliance with the fall prevention guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), the pt Falls Prevention Program consists of an organized care pathway that includes an extensive list of multifactorial assessments and interventions. To optimize safety and quality of life for the residents in long term care facilities, pt Health takes an interdisciplinary collaborative and resident-centred practice model to prevent and manage falls.

The pt Health Falls Prevention Program emphasizes on a proactive approach towards reducing falls in the residents. We believe that it is just as important to prevent falls as it is to manage falls. In other words, our rehabilitation team aims to identify all the residents who are at risk for falls and implement measures to prevent falls from occurring. In the unfortunate events of when falls do occur, our rehabilitation team is trained to conduct assessments and put in order treatment plans that are tailored to the needs of each individual resident.

Risk Factors for Falling

Suggestions You Can Implement Today

Encourage exercise regularly: Promote the resident to participate in regular exercises to reduce risk of falls through improving or maintaining muscle strength, flexibility and range of motion.

Promote consumption of balanced meals: Encourage the resident to eat three balanced meals each day to avoid dizziness, malnutrition and fatigue.

Ensure appropriate and supportive footwear: Help the resident select and purchase low-heeled footwear with non-skid soles. It is important to find footwear with the appropriate width and length to ensure proper circulation in the resident’s feet.

Remove clutter and secure rugs: Remove objects that may be tripping hazard, such as an electric cord across the bedroom floor, and secure rugs to decrease risk of slipping and falling.

Encourage time with friends and leisure activities: Encourage the resident to socialize with friends and participate in leisure activities to prevent social isolation, loneliness and depression.

Avoid rushing: Allow the resident sufficient time for all activities including transfers, ambulation, activities of daily living and leisure. Rushing increases the risk of falling.

For more information about our falls prevention program, please call us at (877) 696-1620 or email eldercare@pthealth.ca

Reference

Canadian Institute for Health Information (2004). National trauma registry 2004 report: Injury hospitalizations (includes 2002-2003 data).

Tinetti, M. E. and C. S. Williams (1997). Falls, injuries due to falls, and the risk of admission to a nursing home. New England journal of medicine, 337(18), 1279-84.

Public Agency of Canada (2009). Statistics on Seniors’ Falls. Retrieved on December 8, 2010. Read Source