In keeping with their commitment to patient safety, AMGH recently launched a new initiative targeting patient falls.
This initiative was launched for three reasons.
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Falls are a major health problem in aged care with approximately 1/3 to ½ of adults older than 65 years experiencing a fall each year.
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Around 1/5 of those who fall require medical treatment and just under 10% of falls result in fracture. Falls present significant morbidity in aged care and also cause huge health care costs.
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Accreditation Canada requires all accredited facilities to have a Falls Prevention Strategy in place.
When someone at or over the age of 65 years is admitted to our hospital, an assessment will be done using set criteria to determine the level of risk of falling. If a high risk is determined, the staff will put in place various measures to help to prevent a fall.
Patients can help as well. There are a number of things you can do to avoid falls as listed below in an excerpt from our Patient Fall Prevention Policy.
Stay Safe - Avoid Falls
