Prevent falls at facilities
• Identify residents at high risk for falling, including those having poor vision, gait disturbances, weakness, cardiovascular disease, incontinence, and a history of falls.
• Include specific measures in the care plan of high-risk residents to prevent falls.
• Increase the sensitivity of the entire staff to the potential for accidents within and around the facility through ongoing education programs. Each employee must play a part in noticing, reporting, and reducing potential hazards.
• Assess newly admitted residents for the presence of factors that increase their risk of falls, orient them to their environment, and observe them carefully during their first two weeks at the facility.
• A current list of all
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• Assure that residents use canes, walkers, and wheelchairs only when prescribed and that these aids are fitted to the individual and are used correctly. Make sure to check these mobility aids regularly to ensure they are in good repair, as broken equipment can cause injury.
• Make sure that residents wear well-fitted, low-heeled shoes; prevent them from wearing long robes and pants that fall below the ankle.
Preventing falls is an issue for every staff member in the facility. Every department should be involved in developing strategies for fall prevention and in monitoring residents who are in danger of falling. Front-line staff members are a facility 's best resource in developing practical interventions that are tailored to the unique needs of each individual resident.
Interventions for Activity Professionals
As a member of the interdisciplinary team, activity professionals play an integral part in the facility 's fall prevention program. During the care planning process, activities should be part of the approaches for residents who are identified as "at risk for falls." It is important to share information about the identified residents with the rest of the activity staff so that each member of the team can do their part for the fall prevention