Fall Prevention and Assessment

Falls Prevention
http://www.healthyagingprograms.org/content.asp?sectionid=69
Outstanding resource for consumers and health care professionals to prevent falls in older adults.

Fall Risk Assessment Scale
http://www.hartfordign.org/publications/trythis/issue08.pdf
This tool (Hendrich II Fall Risk Model) is available from the John A. Hartford Institute of Geriatric Nursing and Alzheimer's Association's "Try This" series. Falls can be detrimental for older adults. This tool evaluates who is at risk for falls by identifying physical and cognitive impairments as well as environmental factors present that could increase the risk for falls.

Video: http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp?tid=751384
Article: http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp?tid=751712 (AJN, November 2007)

Falls Toolkit
http://www.patientsafety.gov/SafetyTopics/fallstoolkit/index.html
This is a comprehensive manual that provides outstanding tools to address assessment, prevention, and management of falls. It is developed through the Veterans Administration National Center for Patient Safety.

Falls
www.consultgerirn.org
This website provides a good overview of fall assessment and prevention, treatment, and evaluation. Select Falls from the topics menu.

A Guide to Bed Safety
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/beds/bedrail.pdf
This printable fact sheet is sponsored by the FDA. It gives information on bed rail use in hospitals, nursing homes, and home care. The risks and benefits of using bedrails, statistics on bedrails, and information on meeting patients' safety needs are discussed.

National Resource Center for Safe Aging
http://www.safeaging.org/default.asp
The mission of this organization is to gather and share the best information and resources on senior safety, including fall prevention, pedestrian and motor vehicle safety, and prevention of elder abuse.

Siderail Decision-Making Tree
http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/centers/hcgne/gero_tips/PDF_files/Side_Rail_Decision_Tree.pdf
This tool is available on the GERO T.I.P.S. Online website, sponsored by Penn Nursing and the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. It was developed by Elizabeth Capezuti, PhD, RN, FAAN.

Return to:

Table of Contents
Faculty Teaching Resources Homepage