Fall Risk Assessment
It Starts with You…
Preventing Falls
Improving Lives
2014 Fall Prevention Education Series brought to you by the Washington State Hospital Association
Why focus on preventing falls?
Preventing falls:
• Increases patient trust
• Improves care
• Improves patient satisfaction
• Decreases unnecessary costs for both
the patient and the hospital
What can I do to prevent falls?
Leadership & Frontline Staff Involvement
Fall Prevention Interventions
Patient/Family Engagement & Culture
Monitor Performance
What is a Fall Risk Assessment?
Screening tool to help determine
patient’s level of fall risk
Example: Morse Fall Scale
Example: STRATIFY Assessment
Example: Hendrich II Fall Model
Why should I do a
Fall Risk Assessment?
• Allows implementation of appropriate
interventions and a follow-up plan
• Notifies all pertinent health care staff of risk
• Highlights risk concerns for each patient
• Reduces potential of serious harm
• Standardizes the process of risk identification
Is it really that important?
Patients don’t know if they are at high risk
for falls
Draws information out of patients
Standardized approach for all patients
Which patients are
at highest risk for falling?
• History of Falls
• Decreased independence with
mobility and transfers
• Impaired Cognition
• Toileting Needs
• Advanced Age
• Environmental Factors such as call
light location, room layout and
clutter, IV and other tubing/wires
When and how often to do a
Fall Risk Assessment?
• Initial fall risk on admission
• Reassess with patient condition or
medication change
• At shift change and patient rounds
I have completed a
Fall Risk Assessment
on my patient. What next?
• Develop individualized fall prevention
plans for each patient
• Follow the policy in your hospital
• Learn about your hospitals Fall
Prevention program
• Engage patients and families in
developing the plan
Mrs. Saul
Demographic Information: 73 years old female
Admitted with: Confusion, fever, and a UTI
Social Situation: Lives at home alone
Her granddaughter, Skyler, checks-in every 3-4 days
Medications: High blood pressure and cholesterol, low dose aspirin, and
a multi-vitamin.
Fall History: Once, 2 months ago, with no serious injuries
Additional Observations: Mrs. Saul is weak, dehydrated, and is unable to
follow simple commands or answer basic questions
Mrs. Saul
Which aspects of this case study are fall risk factors?
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History of falls
Cognitive impairment
Age consideration
Current medications
Family situation
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Mrs. Saul
What information is missing?
What else would you need to assess in order to
determine if Mrs. Saul is a high fall risk?
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Mobility issues
Elimination
Medications
Environmental factors
Mrs. Saul
What risk factors are you noticing that would need to be
considered when developing your intervention plan/care plan for
this patient?
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Impaired cognition
Dehydration and Medication
Weakness
Previous fall
Increased need for toileting
Mrs. Saul
How often should you review the falls risk and update
interventions on this patient?
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Change in patient condition
Change in medications
Shift change or Staff change
Post-fall
What have we learned?
•Complete fall risk assessment
•Know risk factors
•Initiate a care plan for each patient
•Reassess patient’s fall risk when indicated
•Engage patients and families in assessment
and prevention
• Include patient risk and care plan
with your colleagues
Other presentations available
in this series
Fall Risk Assessment
Fall Prevention Interventions,
Patient and Family Engagement
Post-Fall Huddles and Data Analysis
Brought to you by the Washington State Hospital Association
Resources
The analyses upon which this publication
is based were performed under
Contract Number
HHSM-500-2012-00008C
entitled
"Hospital Engagement Contractor for
Partnership for Patients Initiative.”