FAILURE TO ENSURE SAFETY FROM FALLS AND FALL-RELATED INJURIES IS THE NUMBER ONE MOST FREQUENT (49% OF CLAIMS) AND COSTLY (55% OF COSTS) ALLEGATION IN THE SENIOR LIVING SETTING. WHILE FALLS ARE A KNOWN RISK IN BOTH SENIOR LIVING AND HOSPITAL SETTINGS, ORGANIZATIONS STILL STRUGGLE WITH HOW TO REDUCE AND MITIGATE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SO COMPLEX AND TEND TO VARY BY INDIVIDUAL PATIENT OR SENIOR LIVING RESIDENT. MANY FACTORS PLAY INTO FALL-RELATED CLAIMS, INCLUDING INTERNAL RISK FACTORS LIKE MEDICATION SIDE-EFFECTS THAT CAN CREATE BALANCE ISSUES, AND EXTERNAL FACTORS SUCH AS AMBULATORY DEVICES AND FLOORING. POOR COMMUNICATION, ESPECIALLY AT TRANSITIONS OF CARE, CAN BE A FACTOR AS WELL.
THE MAJORITY OF FALL CLAIMS IN BOTH THE HOSPITAL AND SENIOR LIVING SETTINGS OCCUR IN THE PATIENT’S OR SENIOR LIVING RESIDENT’S ROOM. NOT SURPRISINGLY, BECAUSE NURSES ARE THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER IN BOTH HOSPITAL AND SENIOR LIVING SETTINGS, THEY TEND TO BE PRESENT DURING AND/OR AFTER HARMFUL FALL EVENTS. FOR THIS REASON, NURSING TEAM MEMBERS ARE THE TOP GROUP OF CLINICIANS INVOLVED IN FALL-RELATED CLAIMS, WHICH IS TRUE ACROSS ALL SETTINGS.
WHILE FALLS ACCOUNT FOR ONLY 10% OF HOSPITAL CLAIMS AND 4% OF COSTS, THEY ARE STILL AN AREA OF RISK MANAGEMENT FOCUS THAT HAS AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT (SEE RISK MANAGEMENT TIPS AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE). IMPLEMENTING A FALL REDUCTION PLAN, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION—WITHIN THE CARE TEAM AND ALSO WITH PATIENTS, SENIOR LIVING RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES—AND BUILDING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS CAN MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MITIGATING AND PROPERLY RESPONDING TO FALL-RELATED EVENTS.