Critical Component of a Falls Prevention & Reduction Program

1. Education is provided for the public - formal, just in time and or impromptu. Content should include what the risks are, what interventions exist to protect them and equipment.
   
2. Education is provided for the primary caregiver(s). All staff are informed of the fall prevention and reduction program. With any changes updates and additional and periodic inservices are provided. Staff are aware on a daily basis the clients who are at risk for falls and which clients fell during the previous month.
   
3. Organization-wide buy in to preventing and reducing falls.
   
4. "Falls Prevention Champion" is named to lead the program.
   Select a dynamic individual who is interested in quality outcomes and has strong problem solving skills or is willing to learn root cause analysis. The falls champion may be a job responsibility or a revolving delegated responsibility to an interdisciplinary team member. Information about a Fall Safety Champion.
5. Interdisciplinary Team approach is promoted.
   An Interdisciplinary Falls Team is a key success factor in falls prevention and reduction programs. The team should include people with administrative and direct care functions.
   
6. Fall - risk assessments are conducted upon arrival into the care center or assisted living,
   
7. A system for easily identifying clients at high risk for falls such as falling star, falling leaf, color coded door frame, etc. has been established,
   
8. The Safety huddle practice tool is incorporated into practice for care centers, assisted living and home care.
   A safety huddle is a simple and efficient tool for frontline staff as these small briefings represent an opportunity to share information about actual or potential fall safety problem and concerns on a regular basis. This strategy leads to suggestions for interventions that are implemented in a timely fashion. At the same time it identifies and addresses factors surrounding a potential or actual fall, educates staff about falls and promotes a culture of safety and change.
   
9. The rounding model of practice is utilized.
   Rounding model is when a member of the care giving team physically makes contact with a client on a consistent set time frame. When this is practiced clients become more certain that a nurse will be available for immediate needs (assistance to the bathroom, pain interventions, or addressing questions about care and other needs). Rounding is usually conducted every 1 or 2 hours and includes addressing the "3 P's or "4Ps" which encompass the assessment of :
   
   Positioning. Make sure the client is comfortable and assess the risk of pressure ulcer.
   
   Personal needs. Schedule client trips for toileting to avoid unsafe conditions. This avoids clients trying to get up by themselves who are not able or not strong enough.
   
   Pain. Ask client to describe their pain level on a scale of zero to 10, then act upon findings for whatever is needed.
   
   Presence. Promotes trust, safety and certainty of available care giver. Implementation of rounding has seen the following outcomes: falls rates have declined and in one research conducted with 24 hospitals implementing rounding there was a 60% reduction in falls. Additional outcomes were observed with a marked increase in satisfaction and decrease in call-light frequency.
   
10. Development of supportive policies and procedures.

Aging Services thanks 2010 Annual Sponsor Thrifty White Pharmacy Services and our other sponsors for their support and partnership.