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3. Develop or implement new assessment tools and intervention products. 4. Plan and provide interactive educational sessions and in-service staff as necessary on an ongoing basis. 5. Promote and support successful implementation on each unit. Celebrate and acknowledge a job well done. Resources Needed for Implementation Implementation of the fall prevention program will require time, money and a collaborative effort from the staff. A change agent is helpful to launch a new program but the change must be carried out as a team/facility wide effort. There needs to be administrative and staff support for successful implementation and maintenance of the program (National Guideline Clearinghouse, 2009). Cost of Implementation The cost associated with implementing the fall prevention program would include the costs of risk management, time in the form of documentation and monitoring, any additional supplies and/or equipment, and staff training (National Guideline Clearinghouse, 2009). However, since fall-related injuries among older adults are associated with substantial economic costs which are typically much greater than the cost to implement an evidence-based fall prevention program, the benefits accrued from the implementation of such a program underscore the critical need to implement fall prevention programs in long-term care facilities (CDC, 2008). Establishing Team Players An interdisciplinary team structure is recommended to plan the fall prevention program, including assessment of nursing home readiness, development of clinical pathways and provision of education to both providers and patient on fall prevention. Members of this fall prevention team should include (National Guideline Clearinghouse, 2009): · Physicians, preferably focused on a geriatric case; · Nurses or nurse practitioners, preferably geriatric based; · Social worker; · Physical therapy; · Administrators or managers. Potential Barriers to Success There may be some barriers to implementation a fall prevention program because human beings by nature may not like change. Staff may see this as additional work even when they understand the benefits of the program. However, the education of staff, patients, and families about fall risk and the fall prevention program should help to reduce these barriers over time. Staff Education 1. Nurses should be educated in the use of a fall risk assessment tool, and should be able to describe the rationale for completing a fall assessment on admission, as well as after a fall. Staff should be familiar with different fall prevention interventions that are appropriate for each patient/resident based upon the result of the fall risk assessment. 2. Staff should be educated about predisposing and precipitating factors for falls and related prevention strategies and interventions. This will support them in understanding that fall prevention requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Staff needs to understand the different interventions available to them, in order to apply them when caring for patients. 3. Nurses should be educated about medications that increase the risk for falls in the elderly. In collaboration with the healthcare team, nurses should be able to conduct periodic reviews for elderly patients in their care. 4. Staff should understand and be able to implement environmental modifications as a component of fall prevention strategies.
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