Falls are one of the most common adverse events in hospitals. Many facilities are working to find ways to reduce the number of falls as well as the severity of the falls that do occur. In an effort to help facilities, we created the Falls Toolkit. The Falls Toolkit provides information on:   • Designing a falls prevention and management program   • Effective interventions for high-risk fall patients   • Implementing hip protectors for high-risk fall patients   • Educating patients, families and staff on falls and fall-injury prevention

Fall prevention is an important and timely issue. In 2003, falls represented nearly 47% of all safety reports and aggregated events within the VA National Center for Patient Safety's database, and 11% of all Root Cause Analyses occurring in calendar year 2003 were fall-related.

The VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) worked with the Patient Safety Center of Inquiry in Tampa, Florida, and others to develop the NCPS Falls Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to aid facilities in developing a comprehensive falls prevention program.

The Falls Toolkit Introduction Monograph and Falls Toolkit PowerPoint provide background information on falls and the falls toolkit.

• Falls Toolkit Introduction Monograph (Word) | (PDF)
• Falls Toolkit PowerPoint

• Falls Toolkit Jeopardy PowerPoint

at_risk.pdf File Size: 95KB Printed Size: 8.5 x 11 in Pages: 1	care_poster.pdf File Size: 75KB Printed Size: 11 x 17 in Pages: 1
fall_risk_evals.pdf File Size: 7KB Printed Size: 8.5 x 11 in Pages: 1	timed_up_and_go_test.pdf File Size: 18KB Printed Size: 8.5 X 11 in Pages: 1
morse_falls_pocket_card.pdf File Size: 10KB Printed Size: 3x5 in Pages: 2	hip_protectors.pdf File Size: 93KB Printed Size: 11 x 17 in Pages: 1
hip_pad_brochure.pdf File Size: 88KB Printed Size: 11 x 8.5 in Pages: 2	fall_prevention_at_home.pdf File Size: 229KB Printed Size: 11 x 8.5 in Pages: 2
falls_toolkit_buttons.pdf File Size: 1.6MB Printed Size: 8.5 x 11 in Pages: 1	Blood Thinners: Risk Factors Associated with Falling and What to Do When You Fall File Size: 95KB Printed Size: 11 x 8.5 in Pages: 2

• Balance Assessment Handbook (PDF, 187KB)
• Education Resource Guide (PDF, 8.1MB)
• Hip Fracture Education (POWERPOINT, 212KB)
• Identifying Patients Using a Falling Star (St. Cloud) (POWERPOINT, 391KB)

• Creating a Safe Environment (PDF, 166KB) | (WORD, 68KB)
• Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders (PDF, 143KB) | (WORD, 32KB)
• Implementing a Falls Assessment Program (PDF, 209KB) | (WORD, 154KB)
• Utilizing Protective and Assistive Devices To Prevent Injuries Due To Falls
    (PDF, 159KB) | (WORD, 75KB)

• The Administration on Aging (HHS)
• American Association for Retired Persons (AARP)
• CDC - National Center for Injury Prevention
• CDC - National Center for Injury Prevention: A Toolkit to Prevent Senior Falls
• The Gerontological Society of America
• The Merck Institute of Aging & Health: Falls Toolkit
• National Institute on Aging
• Safe USA: Preventing Falls Among Older Adults
• San Francisco Department of Public Health

• Example Toileting Worksheet (Word, 51KB)
• Fall Rate Calculator (XLS, 13KB)
• NCPS - Falls Toolkit Notebook: Resources (PDF, 78KB)
• Technology Assessment Guide (PDF, 360KB)
• The Falls Prevention flipbook - the flipbook provides information on performing the Morse fall scale and a falls risk assessment, identifies prevention interventions, and discusses post-fall documentation.

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