Falls happen every day in senior living communities. While we may not be able to avoid falls completely, there are some smart and proven ways to significantly reduce them.
Group Programs that Help Prevent Falls
Exercise classes are not only enjoyable for many residents from a social aspect, but they offer benefits for fall prevention as well. Strength and flexibility gained from exercise can improve balance and coordination, helping to prevent falls from occurring or reduce the number of falls. In fact, a review of several studies found that multiple-component group exercise is beneficial in both preventing and reducing falls.
This same research also suggests that exercise can help reduce the risk of serious injuries when falls do happen. This is not surprising, given that regular exercise has been shown to strengthen bones and thereby reduce the risk of fractures.
With all these benefits, strength and resistance exercises that are appropriate for varying fitness levels should be part of your community's fall prevention plan.
Individual Modifications
Many senior living communities also focus on individual resident solutions to prevent falls, including changes to the resident’s room, non-slip shoes, and using a cane or walker when needed. In particular, research suggests that those who may be at higher risk of falling benefit from these measures the most. Community modifications such as proper lighting, non-glare floors, and grab bars can also work to your advantage. Although the initial cost may be higher, these changes can pay off quickly when they help reduce liability.
Predicting Falls Before They Happen
In many cases, the most harmful falls are the ones that could have been avoided if you had known the resident was a fall risk beforehand. Predicting potential incidents is possible — if you have the right tools at your disposal.
Using the right assisted living software can help you identify residents who need more than exercise and physical aids. Your frequent fallers are not only more likely to fall — they are often more likely to suffer serious injury and potentially reveal shortcomings on the part of the care staff or community. One of the best things you can do is identify these key residents and work on ways to help them avoid falls.
What Senior Living Software Should Do
Senior living software that provides risk management dashboards is an indispensable tool for today’s long term care communities, but it must be user-friendly and intuitive.
Many DCOs believe that their EHR alone can provide them with this information. But even the best EHR won’t help with risk assessment in senior living communities. EHR systems focus on the total health of individual residents. To identify your frequent fallers — and avoid possible litigation — you need specialized senior living software that supplements what your EHR is able to tell you. For instance, software that can identify trends across all of your buildings so that you can see the total health of your organization.
The best senior living software should work seamlessly with your existing EHR so it’s easy for your team to use and no extra work is required. It should also be designed to maximize resident safety and community quality in the unique LTC environment.
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When you’re dealing with potentially serious incidents that can cost residents their well-being and your community its reputation, prevention is far better than cure. Focus on finding out who those residents are so you can allocate your staff and resources accordingly. Perhaps no one can predict the future, but the right data comes pretty close.
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