Can injurious falls be prevented?

The resident population in facilities changes over time. In some facilities there may be a large turnover of residents; in other types of facilities some residents will remain, age in place and become more frail. In addition, some medical conditions and intrinsic factors cannot be changed. Since there is not a single set of factors that can guide nursing staff as to which residents are at high risk for serious injurious falls, taking some general protective actions is appropriate. Some examples are: Monitoring the use of psychotropic medications through the MDS. Assessing the environment to determine potential risks that can be minimized or abolished. Using hip protectors to reduce hip fractures among elderly residents who fall.