Fall Prevention for Geriatric Patients
Self Assessment Tool Fall is the leading cause of injury, disability and death in older adults. It will have a significant impact on elders’ functioning, independence and quality of life. Some elderly will even lose confidence and avoid leaving homes due to fear of falling and thus affecting their social life, putting them at the risk of depression. Top causes of falls in elderly Poor vision or hearing Environmental hazards Lack of exercise Poor balance Side effects of medication But actually, falls can be prevented with multi pronged approach to address the risk factors. House Safety Self Assessment Tool To identify home hazards that might present in your home that will cause you to trip or fall. Use the checklist to find and correct/fix the hazards for every room/area in your home that might cause you to trip or fall. All items are potential risks for falls but if a wheelchair is not used, some items may not apply. For an expedited evaluation, access only places that you use frequently. Steps to use the checklist Step 1:Go to each room/area of your home with this checklist; look for the hazards/ items that are listed below the picture on each page (some items may not relate to your home). Step 2:If the problem is present in your room/ area, check off the appropriate box. After checking all the problems, add them and write the total in the big box (Each item that gets a checkmark is a potential hazard). Step 3:Then go through the solutions and take the necessary action to fix those problems that are a potential hazard. Make sure that you look at assistive devices and helpful products that are indicated in the solutions section. Having them can make your home safer. Step 4:Add the total number of hazards in all the rooms/ areas to get a grand total. Step 5:Write down what actions you are planning to take or have already taken to prevent falls in the action log for your records. Step 6:It may be a good idea to ask your family and friends for a home safety modification or an assistive device for your birthday or holiday present. Also, talk with your friends about home safety. It can be a great gift for them to know how to prevent future falls. Entrance to Front Door and Front Yard The list identifies all the potential home hazards that may cause a fall. If the item applies to your home place a check in the box. Then add the total number of checks and enter it in the box below. Lack of railings or unstable railing Add at least one railing, ideally one on each wall. Unsafe steps (too steep/cracked) Have damaged or broken steps repaired. Unmarked or raised threshold Mark the end of steps or thresholds with contrasting tape or paint color to increase awareness of changes in height. Lack of lighting at night add an outdoor light fixture if not present. Add a sensor light that automatically turns on and off. Lack of a ramp for a wheelchair Have a remodeler or home contractor construct a ramp that will allow wheelchair access in and out of the home. Uneven/cracked pavement Have uneven or cracked pavement repaired. Avoid these areas if possible when walking to and from the home. You may contact local government for repair if it is a sidewalk or driveway end. Ice or snow on driveway/walkway Use a snow melter. Have snow/ice removed by a neighbor or service. Lack of an outdoor grab bar Add an outdoor grab bar next to the door. *The numbers of correspond to the hazard in the picture and solutions on the following page. Living Room The list identifies all the potential home hazards that may cause a fall. If the item applies to your home place a check in the box. Then add the total number of checks and enter it in the box below. Presence of throw or scatter rug Remove a scatter rug or use a double sided rug tape or a rug pad to secure the rug to the floor. Presence of clutter Eliminate clutter on floor surfaces by placing items on shelves or storage. Consider donating or throwing out the items you no longer use. Avoid carpets with confusing patterns. Presence of electric cords across the floor Run your cords behind furnishings. Use extension cords to accomplish this. Rearrange items that must be plugged in to areas near an outlet. Poor lighting Increase wattage to allowable limits in lamps/lights. Add additional lamps or wall/overhead lights. Presence of unstable furniture Place a block under the shorter leg. If the chair or table is broken, have it repaired or replaced. Presence of unstable chair If the chair is too low, add a furniture leg riser to raise the height. A chair that is too high or without arms should not be used, as it will not provide you with sufficient stability to get in and out of the chair. Difficult to access light switches Add “clapper” light switch control to lamps. There are other remote control switching options for operating the lights. Rearrange furnishings to allow quick access to wall switch or lamps. Not enough space to move around Remove clutter or excess furniture that prevent you from moving around the room easily. Some items may be rearranged, but you may want to donate or throw out other items you don’t really need or use. *The numbers correspond to the hazard in the picture and solutions on the following page. Bathroom The list identifies all the potential home hazards that may cause a fall. If the item applies to your home place a check in the box. Then add the total number of checks and enter it in the box below. Presence of unsafe bath rugs Use a bath rug with non-skid bottom. Lack of grab bars in the tub Add a bath grab bar on the wall or a clamp-on grab bar to the …