Speak UpTM to Prevent Falls
The Joint Commission’s (TJC) award-winning Speak Up™ program has a new initiative focusing on fall prevention. Falls happen at home, out and about, in nursing homes and hospitals. Falls happen for a variety of reasons including loss of balance, tripping or slipping. More than one in four adults over 65 years of age falls annually. Falling once doubles the chance of a repeated fall[i]. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anticipates seven deaths each hour from falls by the year 2030[ii]. The average cost of a fall with injury is estimated at $14,000. That does not take into account the impact on the individual and the fact that unfortunately, not all recoveries are complete. Falls are a real life-changing issue impacting a growing percentage of the population. There are actions that can be taken to decrease the risk of falls and injury.
Risks
The senior population is growing and these individuals want to maintain their independence. Women have a 50% greater fall risk than men[iii]. Having an alcoholic drink a week or taking five or more medications and also managing diabetes or osteoporosis increases the risk of falls[iv]. Other medical conditions contributing to an increased fall rate for seniors include angina, stroke, asthma, COPD, chronic kidney disease, arthritis, depression, and dementia[v].
Take Action
If you or your loved one has had a fall (with or without injury), contact your provider to discuss and determine if any clinical intervention is needed. Do not ignore a fall, it could be a warning sign! Get checked out before a serious life-changing injury happens.
Remove trip and slip hazards, check your footwear, have your vision checked, address any necessary home modifications needs and explore if an automatic fall response system may be appropriate for you or your loved one.
The Joint Commission has a new patient safety campaign Speak UpTM to Prevent Falls that provides information to patients and their families/caregivers on how to prevent falls and become more active in their health care. Check out the video and determine what steps and precautions you need to take to reduce the chance of falling.
Hand-out on a variety of actions to take To Prevent Falls. Print and use as a checklist. Share with a friend. https://www.jointcommission.org/topics/speak_up_to_prevent_falls.aspx
Resource
Home Hospice Navigation: The Caregiver’s Guide
References
[i] Stevens, J. A., Balesteros, M. F., Rudd, R. A., DeCaro, E., & Adler, G. (2012). Gender differences in seeking care for falls in the aged Medicare population. Am J Prev Med.,43, 59-62.
[i]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Important facts about falls. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
[iii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Important facts about falls. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
[iv] Harvard Health Publishing. (2015, April 15). Why do women fall? Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/why-do-women-fall
[v] Paliwal, Y., Slattum, P. W., & Ratliff, S. M. (2017, March 28). Chronic Health Conditions as a Risk Factor for Falls among the Community-Dwelling US Older Adults: A Zero-Inflated Regression Modeling Approach. Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28459060
