The National Falls Prevention Project

1. The National Falls Prevention Project Implementing the National Falls Prevention Program in your Organisation

2. INTRODUCTION The National Falls Prevention Program is an initiative of the Australian Government- Department of Health & Ageing Community Care

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Step 3-Identify Key Stakeholders Internal Stakeholders. Your clients, family, carers, home care workers. External Stakeholders. GP’s, Community Allied Health Services. Small organisations with limited resources may need to join with other organisations in your area to form a partnership committee.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Step 6-Strategies Individual Falls Risk Assessment. Identifying Clients at high risk. Environmental risk assessment.

10. 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

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

12. STEP 7-Prioritise and Implement Strategies Determine the process for implementing your strategies.

13. 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

14. 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 service’s policies and procedures and quality programs. This can then be used in your HACC review process.

15. 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.

16. Step 10- Evaluation Once you have implemented your falls prevention program, ongoing monitoring is required. You will need to: Measure Analyse Implement.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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’

20. 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 client’s progress notes.

21. 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