Page 14 - FALL GUIDELINES MOH 2019

2.0 FALLS INTERVENTION TEAM AND COMPONENTS

2.1 BASIC CONCEPTS

THE FALLS INTERVENTION TEAM (FIT)

What is a FIT?

A Falls Intervention Team (FIT) is a team of committed individuals who are strong advocates
for falls prevention. The FIT assumes the overall responsibility for the design of the falls
prevention and intervention program in the organization. They are also responsible for
making key decisions, working with unit-level teams, and monitoring progress.

Structure of a FIT

Individuals who may coordinate the programme include physicians, nurse managers, nurses,
physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists or staff members with a particular
interest in falls prevention.

Basic Principles for a FIT

Successful teams need capable leaders to define roles and responsibilities and be
accountable for outcomes.

 The scope of the FIT’s charge needs to be established
 Team members need to understand why they have been selected
 The team needs to be aware of the scope of the problem in their facility (eg. falls rates,
repeat falls rates, severity of injuries, outcomes)
 Roles and responsibilities need to be clearly defined with appropriate timelines for
outcomes
 A timeline for the team’s aims needs to be determined with appropriate prioritization
 The team should have access to the necessary tools and structures
 Regular meetings are required to monitor progress
 Quality/performance units/departments should be involved in setting up the
programme

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