Assessment, exercise vital to falls prevention
Monday January 14, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
Assessments to determine physical and cognitive abilities of residents coupled with physiotherapy programs are essential to preventing falls in long-term care homes, says Gina Bunting.

According to Statistics Canada, falls account for two-thirds of injuries which limit mobility and activities for Canadians. Nearly 14,000 Canadians die as the result of falls every year. Because a fall resulting in injury can set in motion a steady decrease in the health of a resident, preventing falls is a major issue in the long-term care sector.

Bunting, a physiotherapist, works with residents at three OMNI Health Care-owned long-term care homes — Maplewood, Streamway Villa and Burnbrae Gardens. She says the main role physiotherapists need to play in long-term care homes is to provide residents with thorough assessments on an ongoing basis.

Because a resident’s physical status can change in a matter of days — or even hours — assessments need to be done regularly, says Bunting.

Physical assessments on residents include examinations of range, strength in the arms and legs, sitting balance, standing balance, sensation and posture.

Building and maintaining strength in legs is crucial to ensuring residents stay on their feet, notes Bunting.

“A big part of your balance is the strength that you have to maintain your balance over your feet,” she says, adding that physiotherapists also help to determine if walking aids, such as canes or walkers, are helping individuals or if they are posing a safety hazard for them.

There’s also an assessment on residents to determine if they have any cognitive issues which might put them in jeopardy of falling. The cognitive assessment also looks at a resident’s understanding of their abilities.

“Often that cognitive ability can be slowly changing, as well,” says Bunting.

When she works with residents in group activities, Bunting tries to make the programs as enjoyable as possible. This often means encouraging residents to participate in activities that don’t seem like therapy. Ball exercises, she says have worked well with residents.

“Something as simple as throwing a ball, passing a ball . . . can easily be done in a group,” says Bunting. “(The residents) don’t even realize they’re doing an exercise program.”