Page 26 - FALL GUIDELINES MOH 2019

ASSESSMENT

All patients admitted to the hospital should undergo a falls risk assessment within 24 hours
of admission. Risk assessment should be multidimensional and include medical, functional
and behavioural asessment of the patient.

Reassessment

In hospitals, reassessment of falls risk should be carried out at least once a day and where
there is a change in the patient’s condition or after an episode of fall during hospitalization.

1. Change in the patient’s condition
Any change in the patient’s condition could result in a change in their falls risk. For
example, falls risk may increase if the patient experiences a decline in physical function
and alertness, necessitating close supervision.

2. Change in medication
Some medications or combination of medications may place patients at risk of falls;
therefore, patients on these medications should be monitored closely. A nurse can
evaluate patients’ medications and suggest alternatives if those prescribed increases the
risk of falls.

3. Immediately after a fall
It is essential to implement a falls risk assessment immediately following a fall. The
purpose is to establish the circumstances leading to the fall, identify any new risk factors
and implement an appropriate intervention to prevent future falls. Refer to the section
on Post-Falls Management for details.

23

23