The National Falls Prevention Project

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The National Falls Prevention Project

• Implementing the National Falls Prevention
  Program in your Organisation

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INTRODUCTION

• The National Falls Prevention Program is an
  initiative of the Australian Government-
  Department of Health Ageing Community Care

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• The objective of this program is to enhance the
  health and well being of the frail aged in the
  community and enable them to live as
  independently as possible in their own homes
• Home and Community Care staff members are an
  integral link in the prevention of falls in the
  community setting. They play an important role in
  health promotion as well as supporting older
  people to live as independently as possible in
  the community

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STEP 1- Identify Your Team

• A Co-ordinator- preferably with experience in
  falls prevention.
• Team should ideally comprise both clinical and
  non clinical members
• Team members to complete background reading and
  training in falls prevention.

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Step 2-Establish a Meeting Protocol

• Falls Prevention Committee to determine the
  direction of your implementation process.
• Terms of reference will facilitate progress and
  should outline the purpose, objectives and
  membership of the team.

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Step 3-Identify Key Stakeholders

• Internal Stakeholders.
• Your clients, family, carers, home care
  workers.
• External Stakeholders.
• GPs, Community Allied Health Services.
• Small organisations with limited resources may
  need to join with other organisations in your
  area to form a partnership committee.

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Step 4- Establish a Baseline Measure

• Determine what is currently happening in your
  Service.
• Check what is currently happening in other
  Services in your area, so you do not duplicate
  services.
• Staff survey will help to determine current
  levels of awareness in your Service.
• An audit of recent falls incidents will provide a
  baseline measure, suggest over past 12 months.

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Step 5- Establishing Priorities

• Once you have baseline data and a profile of
  current falls activities you can prioritise your
  own area.
• Your falls audit may highlight areas of need and
  allow you to plan strategies to address these.

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Step 6-Strategies

• Individual Falls Risk Assessment.
• Identifying Clients at high risk.
• Environmental risk assessment.

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Strategies

• From the Individual falls risk assessment, the
  following strategies may need addressing
• Medication review
• Podiatry Assessment and Footwear review
• Continence Management
• Nutrition review
• Vision and Hearing Assessment
• Physical Activity Program.
• Referrals to health professionals

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Client Capacity Building

• Client to take control and manage own falls
  prevention program, with the support of the home
  care worker.

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STEP 7-Prioritise and Implement Strategies

• Determine the process for implementing your
  strategies.

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Step 8- Setting Targets

• Set Performance Targets
• 80 of clients screened on initial assessment
• Evaluate performance targets- chart audit 6
  months after inception.
• Monitor and correct any identified problems

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Step 9- Sustainability

• Now you have a specific falls prevention program
  running, it is important to sustain it.
• It is recommended that you include your
  activities in your services policies and
  procedures and quality programs. This can then be
  used in your HACC review process.

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Step 9- Sustainability

• Cultural Change- Staff need to recognise the
  importance of a falls prevention program and
  adopt appropriate actions and strategies into
  their work practices in order to sustain the
  program.
• Continuing education for both clinical and non
  clinical staff is essential.

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Step 10- Evaluation

• Once you have implemented your falls prevention
  program, ongoing monitoring is required.
• You will need to
• Measure
• Analyse
• Implement.

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Step 11- Implementing Your Own Falls Prevention
Program

• From the knowledge and skills acquired today,
  write an action plan for your service to
  implement a falls prevention program.

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Suggested Model for Service Implementation

• Coordinator will select suitable clients and
  introduce them to the project.
• Clients will usually be from the following
  groups
• 1. new clients
• 2. clients referred by home care worker
• 3. clients having a review.

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Step 12-Service Implementation

• During the Coordinators Home Visit they will
• Explain to the client that the falls prevention
  program aims to keep them living safely in their
  own home
• Explain to the client the 7-Risk Factors.
• Explain to the client how together you can
  manage these risks

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Client Participation

• It is important that the home care worker
  explains to the client that participation in the
  project is voluntary.
• If the client chooses to participate, this can be
  recorded in the clients progress notes.

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Step 13- Implementation and Review

• The Coordinator will action the results of the
  questionnaire
• The Case Manager will communicate the relevant
  outcomes and follow up recommendations with you
  through your coordinator.
• Report any hazards and concerns to your
  coordinator on an ongoing basis