Fall Prevention Presentation1

Fall Prevention

Fall Prevention Program

It is everyone’s responsibility to provide a safe environment for patients.

Fall prevention is one aspect of patient safety.


Awareness of all staff is a key to

the prevention of falls

What is a fall?

A fall is defined according to the facility or hospital policy.

Sparks Regional Medical Center policy defines a fall as an unplanned descent to the floor with or without injury to the patient.

Fall Prevention

Educating patients potential for falling while hospitalized is very important.


Falls among hospital inpatients are common among the elderly patients.

Patients who fall incur serious physical injuries, 10% result in fractures, subdural hematomas, and even death.


Injuries due to falls increase health care costs.

Patients that sustain injury have approximately hospital charges over $5,600 higher that those patients who do not fall.


Prevention offalls in hospitalsettings is an important patient safety measure.


Every acute health care setting mustidentify the patients at risk for falls toprevent or minimizepatient falls and injuries while hospitalization.


Nurses must accurately assess all patients and their environments for risk factors for falls.

Fall Risk Assessment

Fall assessment must be performed upon admission to identify risk factors such as: Cognitive dysfunction Dementia Impaired Mobility Medications Environmental

Fall Risk Assessment continues

Patients must be assessed On daily basis, on every shift When patient’s condition changes When patient’s medication regimen changes When patient is transferred to another unit After a fall


Identifying causes and risk factors of falls is very important.

Falls may be caused by environmental or physiologic factors. Eight percent of falls can’t be predicted nor

prevented. And 78 percent are anticipated and

identified through fall risk assessment.


Fall Prevention: Instruct patients to request assistance as needed Keep rooms & hallways clear of obstacles. Place assistive devices (if needed) such as walkers

and canes within a patient’s reach. Do not leave at-risk patients unattended in

diagnostic or treatment areas.


Fall Prevention: Communicate the patient’s at-risk status with other

disciplines as appropriate. Inform & educate patients & family members

regarding plan of care to prevent falls. Raise the side rails as appropriate for access to bed

controls, support and repositioning.


Essential Falls Management Every day nurses in different hospitals have

many patients fall and they do not have a fall risk tool that works or the fall risk tool that are currently using does not work.

What fall risk tool are you using ? Does it work?

Fall Prevention


The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) is a rapid and simple method of assessing a patient’s likelihood of falling. The MFS is used widely in acute care settings.


Morse Fall Scale Assessment Tool is commonly tool used for fall assessment. It uses variable descriptions and scoring hints such as:

History of falling Ambulatory aid IV or IV Access Gait Mental status

Note: copy of Morse fall assessment tool is in appendix A.

Fall Prevention

All Patient care providers must remember to: Make hourly rounds Teach patients to call for help Place call light, water, trash can,

remote control within reach

Fall Prevention

Place any fall prevention devices to high risk fall patients

Position the bed to the lowest position.

Leave the room free from clutter. Answer call light promptly.

Fall Prevention ProgramSummary

Inpatient falls are persistent problem in hospital. Many studies suggest that many complex patient characteristics, circumstances, activities contribute to falls. Determining fall risk factors increase patient safety. Placing interventions in place decrease incidents for

falls. Staff education increase fall prevention awareness.


The goal for Fall Prevention Program is Patient Safety.


Let’s all work

together to keep our patients SAFE

References:

Gluck, T., Wietntjes, H. J., & Rai, G, S. (2005). An evaluation of risk factors for in-patient falls in acute and rehabilitation elderly care wards. Gerontology, 42, 104-107.

Morse, J.M. (2002). Enhancing the safety of hospitalization by reducing patient falls. American Journal of Infection Control, 30(6), 376-380.

Salgado, R., Lord, S.R., Packer, J., & Ehrlich, F. (1994). Factors associated with falling I elderly hospital patients. Gerontology, 40(23), 325-331.

Sparks Regional Medical Center (2010). Patient safety policy, Retrieved from www.sparkshealth.com

http://www.sparkshealth.com/


Contact information: Ndaipamo Ella Pangani [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Fall Prevention Presentation1