Fall prevention in assisted living: assessment and strategies

Residents in assisted living residences have similar risk factors for falls as do community-residing older adults and, as such, can benefit from the research findings on falls prevention conducted with that population. Some risk factors can be managed, such as, medication side effects, and muscle weakness; others such as degenerative neurological changes, cannot. Knowing a resident's falls history and conducting a full risk assessment, in combination with appropriate interventions, can reduce the probability of a future fall. Exercise appears to be the most effective factor in reducing the risk of falls and injuries from falls. The fear of falling, whether or not associated with a previous fall, is more common among older women and can seriously restrict their quality of life. This article describes evidence-based falls risk assessment instruments and interventions to reduce falls risk. T'ai chi, for example, can reduce falls risk by improving balance. The article describes a standard fall prevention program for older adults that can be part of a resident's care or service plan, criteria for an occurrence report, quality improvement monitoring, and a formula to calculate the residence's monthly falls rate.