Percentage of LTC residents who fell in the last 30 days

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Falls have immediate physical consequences (including injuries) and represent one of the leading causes of injury-related emergency department visits and hospital admissions among older adults in Canada. For older adults, falls can be a significant turning point toward frailty and overall health decline. For an individual, it can mean the beginning of a loss of independence and a serious deterioration in quality of life. Furthermore, fall-related injuries exact a high cost to the province’s health care system.

Key resources

Change Ideas

Assess and manage fall risk in residents

Screen all residents to identify those at risk for falls and their fall risk factors. Conduct screening as part of admission processes, after any significant change in health status, or at least annually
Approaches and Tools for Assessing Falls Risk by RNAO
Ensure that each resident has an individualized plan of care for fall prevention
Provide staff education or training on fall prevention
Preventing Falls in Long-Term Care eLearning course by the CLRI
Educate residents and their family members on fall reduction strategies
Complete post-fall assessments to identify contributing factors and prevent reoccurrence
AHS Falls Risk Management: Post‐Falls Review

Implement universal fall precautions

Conduct ongoing surveillance of resident spaces to promptly clean up environmental hazards like clutter, spills, and trip hazards
Components and Example of Universal Falls Precautions by RNAO
Implement tools and equipment that can help reduce the risk of falling, including low-profile beds, monitors and alarms, and grab bars

Follow best-practice rehabilitation care pathways

Use evidence-based tools to identify individuals living with or at risk of frailty
Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario and the Ontario Collaborative for Aging Well have identified recommended frailty screening tools that can be integrated into various care settings
Implement evidence-based care pathways for rehabilitation
Framework for Rehabilitative Care for Older Adults Living With or at Risk of Frailty

Learn from your peers

Learn from a community of people who inform, share ideas, and support each other to improve the implementation of evidence-informed fall prevention practices
Fall Prevention Community of Practice: LOOP
The Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI) at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) has released a course on Preventing Falls in Long-Term Care