Falls prevention reduces injuries, improves quality of life
Wednesday January 23, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
With roughly half of all residents in long-term care suffering falls annually, the sector is taking measures to help mitigate risks and reduce injury.

A report from Statistics Canada states that 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.

Physiotherapy is one of the most important preventative measures utilized across the sector to help reduce the risk of falls in long-term care. As protocol, physiotherapists assess all residents’ mobility and balancing skills upon moving into long-term care.

Once assessed, residents who are at a high risk of falling are put on a physiotherapy program to help improve their balance and mobility, which minimizes risks.

In fact, by using physiotherapy, some long-term care homes have seen a significant reduction in falls over the years.

“Since we have had them on board, we have seen the incidence of our falls and near falls reduced by (about) 50 to 75 per cent,” says Mary Anne Greco, administrator and DOC at Burnbrae Gardens in Campbellford.

Janet McNabb, director of care at Algonquin Nursing Home, says the physiotherapy program at the Mattawa long-term care home has “been one of the best preventative (measures)” against falls.

Algonquin Nursing Home also keeps a list of residents who are most at risk of falling. Any resident who has more than three falls in a month is added to the list so staff members can be kept up to date on which residents need to be monitored the most and to utilize preventative measures and reduce risks.

In past eras, restraints were used to prevent residents from falling in long-term care homes. Today, the use of any type of restraint is frowned upon across the long-term care sector, because they limit quality of life. Restraints may also cause injury to residents if they try to remove it.

Rather than using restraints, staff members can monitor those residents who are at the highest risk of falling. This helps promote quality of life and curb the risk of falling, says Nancy Unsworth, director of care at Rosebridge Manor in Jasper.

“We have one fellow here who, when he starts to ambulate, likes to maintain his independence, but we make sure that we’re close,” she says.

Safer Healthcare Now, a national campaign promoting safety across the health-care sector, has partnered with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) to develop a national collaborative to help prevent falls in long-term care.

The National Falls Collaborative in Long-Term Care has planned a series of learning sessions to be held throughout 2008 which are aimed at management and staff members from the long-term care sector. Sessions will be held in Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal and Toronto.