RNAO Falls Fellowship Project

Reducing Falls with Improved Communications

Host Institution: Baycrest Health Sciences

Falls are the predominant cause of injury for older Canadian adults, accounting for over 85 per cent of all injury-related hospitalizations. The purpose of this project was to translate patient-identified risk factors into collaborative interventions for patient-centred care plans that work to reduce falls.

With $14,000 in CABHI funding, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) Falls Fellowship Project found that safety huddles and in-patient self-assessments can better identify patients at risk, inform the creation of patient-centred care plans and help engage patients in the falls care planning process. The patient falls self-assessment questionnaire was in addition to the standard Falls Risk Assessment Tool completed by the clinical staff for newly admitted patients. Almost all clinical team members (97.9%) reported that the falls risk self-assessment tool was moderately to very helpful in translating patient identified risk factors into individualized patient care plans. They also rated the use of safety huddles highly as an effective way to engage patients.

The project was conducted in select units of the Apotex Centre and In-Patient Rehabilitation Centre at Baycrest. The next step involves the development of a knowledge translation strategy to disseminate best practices throughout our SQLI network partners.