Nursing home residents count on staff members to help keep them safe and provide them with the assistance they need with everything from daily living tasks to medication management.
Additionally, all nursing homes should have fall protocols that outline how evaluations related to fall risks will be handled. They should also include information about how to handle the situation when a resident does fall.
Fall risk evaluations
Every resident should have a fall risk assessment when they first come into the facility. This should account for all the possible factors that might increase the risk of the resident falling. These include:
- Medical conditions that affect balance
- Medications that cause dizziness
- Dementia-related conditions
- Challenges with strength, gait or balance
Even though the residents have the assessment when they move in, the result of that can’t be considered valid forever. Instead, all residents should have periodic evaluations. There should also be terms set in the protocols that require re-evaluations if the resident has certain things happen, such as a new diagnosis, medication or concern about falling. Re-evaluation should also occur if the resident falls.
Residents who are injured in a fall need to get urgent medical care. The risks are considerable for elderly residents. Working with someone who’s familiar with these cases and who can help to assert the nursing home resident’s rights may be beneficial in these cases.