Policy Directive, Guideline and Toolkit

Policy Directive

Fall and Fall Injury Prevention and Management Policy Directive (PDF 142KB)

SA Health recognises that systematic and proactive risk identification and management is required in order to reduce risk of falling and sustaining harm from falls for consumers in the health service environment. The policy outlines responsibility for falls prevention systems.

Guideline

Fall and Falls Injury Prevention Guideline (PDF 137KB)

The Guideline outlines recommendations for health services in identifying consumers who are at risk of falling; management of consumers who are at risk or who have fallen; providing a safe environment and reporting requirements.

Toolkit

The toolkit includes:

• Contents page (PDF 52KB)
• Guide to using the toolkit (PDF 81KB)
• Post fall management protocol (PDF 86KB)
  This protocol is designed to provide guidance about the optimal care that should be provided immediately after a fall, so as to minimise the harm arising from the fall.
• Reporting guide for fall incidents (PDF 84KB)  
  It is expected that consumer falls and near misses during care are reported to the Safety Learning System. This is a guide for staff about the information they will be required to provide when they are reporting fall incidents on-line or by phone.
• Post fall team review process (PDF 66KB)
  This quick process will enable the review of many fall incidents. The intention of this process is to improve consumer and service safety in a timely fashion, and to reduce repeated falls.
• Falls risk assessment form (MR58), and risk review form (MR58a)
  These medical records forms are intended particularly for acute settings. The MR58 and MR58a forms can be ordered from the SA Health Distribution Centre by completing a Medical Records Order Form.
• MR58 - As well as identifying the consumers risk factors at admission and other times during care, the Fall and fall injury risk assessment form includes recommendations for care-planning and recommended actions for optimal safe set-up of the consumer’s ward environment.
• MR58a - The Risk review form can be used each shift, as risk factors change, to indicate a summary of the actions currently in place.