Fall Risk

Patient safety is always a top priority; patients must be safe in order to complete other aspects of care.  To ensure safety medical professionals will work to minimize risk factors that could result in injury or harm, while promoting high-quality care and maintaining a secure environment for their patients, themselves and others.  Falls are very common occurrences, and experiencing a fall could possibly result in debilitating injuries for you or your loved ones. 

Anyone is at risk for a fall, of course some are at more of an increased risk than others; the young and old are at a greater risk.  As we age, we may become more prone to sustaining a fall due to decreased strength, impairments in mobility and balance, and limitations on our endurance combined with decreased sensory perception.  Medications regimens that individuals follow on a daily basis may also increase the fall risk, for example if any of the medications cause drowsiness.  Other factors that may affect how an individual protects himself would include mobility, their cognitive and sensory awareness, their emotional state, the ability to communicate, and their current lifestyle and awareness of safety.  Of course, the fall risk will become even greater when more than one of the risk factors is present.  Becoming hospitalized also makes an individual at an increased risk for falls due to the unfamiliar environment, being hooked up to machines, experiencing pain or weakness, etc.

Your healthcare professional, most likely a registered nurse, will determine your risk factors upon the initial evaluation performed in your home.  A plan of care with nursing actions will be implemented specific for you to begin to decrease risks in your home to ensure your optimal safety.  It is important that upon choosing to be cared for in your home that you become familiar with safety hazards that could pose a potential to increase the risk of falls in your home, and actively participate with your nurse to avoid hazards that can easily be prevented.

There are general measures that can be followed to prevent falls which include but are not limited to the following:

·      Keep floors in the home free from clutter, providing clear pathways to all rooms.

·      Avoid or remove scatter rugs; if rugs are a must, make sure they are secured to the floor.

·      Avoid placing furniture in pathways.

·      Ensure adequate lighting; have nightlights throughout the home if client has to ambulate to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

·      Use nonskid bath mats in tubs and showers.

·      Use a raised toilet seat.

·      Install grab bars and handrails on stairways, in doorways, in bathroom, etc.

·      Install ramps over small flights of stairs if applicable to your home situation.

·      Electrical cords that are lying in the pathway should be removed if at all possible, if not they should be secured to the floor with the appropriate method.

·      Always make sure frequently used items are within easy reach, this includes the telephone, tissues, remote control, drinking water, eyeglasses.

·      Remind client to always wear eyeglasses and/or hearing aids.

·      Provide education on correct use of assistive devices, such as a cane or walker to the client/family and always keep the device within reach.

·      Provide thorough education regarding the identified risks that were found in the home and discuss the plan of care with the patient/family; if they are aware of the risks, they will be more likely to call for assistance.

With the professional staff at Total Home Health a thorough assessment of your condition along with any risks in your home will be performed initially to address safety hazards.  This assessment will be carried out throughout your service with us, so that we may promptly intervene if you are ever at risk.  If at any point during your service with us you feel that something in your home is posing a risk that may increase your chance of falling, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will send a professional out to you as soon as possible.  Ultimately, the safety of you and your loved ones is the main goal of Total Home Health because you are always number one.