1. FIRST Falls Incident Reduction Strategy Team Reduction of Falls in LTC St. Josephs Health Care London Parkwood Hospital Veterans Care Program

2. Background St. Joseph’s Healthcare London -Parkwood Hospital provides ambulatory care, complex continuing care, rehabilitation care and long term care. The Western Counties Wing (WCW) of Parkwood Hospital has 170 beds dedicated to the long term care of Canadian war veterans. Care in the WCW is provided from three focuses: Physical Support; Psycho-Social Geriatric care; and Dementia Care

3. Aim Improve the quality of life of residents in the WCW of the Veterans Care Program through meeting our stated goals:  Reduce falls  Improve staff knowledge about falls and the impact that they have  Reduce injuries from falls  Reduce severity of injuries from falls  Improve documentation and reporting of falls

4. Team Members Brent PeltolaCoordinator Jennifer AllenOT/PT Assistant Peter BartlettOccupational Therapist Michael MacDonaldRehab Trainer Susanne MacDonaldPhysiotherapist Denise MortonPhysiotherapist Tony O’ReganClinical Nurse Specialist Donna ScottGeriatric Resource Consultant Joanne SemchismPharmacist Brenda QureshiRegistered Nurse

5. Changes Tested GOAL: Provide education regarding risk factors for falls

6. Falls Risk Room Vacant resident room was set up as a “Falls Risk” room Resident profile was developed which included several falls risk factors, and was posted at entrance of the room Additional risk factors were set up within the room and adjacent bathroom Total number of risk factors: 30 Individuals were provided with answer sheet and asked to identify as many risk factors as possible & insert in ballot box Prize was offered for identifying most risk factors

8. Results Number of individuals who came to falls room: 24  Nursing: 17  Allied staff: 3  Non Staff: 4

9. GOAL: Identify knowledge gaps FIRST Team predicted falls risks that would be missed Submitted answer sheets were analyzed for:  Risk factors frequently identified  Risk factors frequently missed Based on this analysis, areas for further education regarding falls risk factors was identified

10. Predicted by Team Most Likely to Be Missed

11. GOAL: Identify knowledge gaps Medication risks were not well identified as predicted Items that were set-up in the room were more often identified than items on the written patient description Spills, mats, clutter, bed height well identified

12. Lessons Learned Did not get as many participants as hoped – numbers may have improved with enhanced advertisement Offering prize did increase interest Need to ask how participants heard about Risk Room Need to add evaluation of Risk Room as learning opportunity

13. Next Steps Setup Falls Risk Room on other units/other programs/other sites Increase promotion Assign staff to attend Plan alternate education based on analysis