Series Overview:

Falls are all too common in all healthcare settings. Some long term care units such as oncology and geriatrics experience fall rates greater than 1/5 per bed annually. Falls are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially for those over 65. The problem has become so serious that the Joint Commission has made reducing the risk of injury from falls one of their National Patient Safety Goals.

This three program series on fall prevention is designed to help you and your institution keep residents safe from falls and meet the Joint Commission's goal and is designated for a minimum of 1.5 hours of continuing nursing education.

The programs in this series are:

• Fall Prevention in Long Term Care: Risk Assessment - M201RA.
• Fall Prevention in Long Term Care: Preventive Strategies and Products - M201RB.
• Fall prevention in Long Term Care: A Comprehensive Fall Prevention Program - M201RC
  
  

Overview:

The Purpose of this program is to provide nurses an understanding of who is at risk for trips and falls in a long term care facility and which elements in the environment also put residents at increased risk of falls.

Objectives:

After Completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Identify the seven crucial screening factors that must be assessed to determine a resident's level of fall risk.
• Conduct a thorough risk assessment of the environment throughout the facility.
• Accurately identify which residents are at risk for trips and falls in a long term care facility.
• Educate at risk residents and their family members about the specific risk factors associated with their condition and review strategies to minimize them.
• Utilize a variety of tools and techniques to minimize fall risk in the resident environment.