Fall Prevention in OT

The importance of fall prevention in occupational therapy.

Falls during therapy and injuries in a whirlpool or on equipment is a common allegation in claims/lawsuits against Occupational Therapy (OT) practitioners. Falls remain the leading cause of injury and death among older adults, with an estimated total medical cost for fatal and nonfatal fall injuries of $30.9 billion.^[i] In 2015, there were 24,190 fatal falls.^[ii]  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that 700,000 to 1 million hospitalized patients fall each year.^[iii] Patients in long-term care facilities are also at very high risk of falls. Approximately half of the 1.6 million nursing home residents in the United States fall each year, and a 2014 report by the Office of the Inspector General found that nearly 10% of Medicare skilled nursing facility residents experienced a fall resulting in significant injury.^[iv] Research shows that close to one-third of falls can be prevented.^[v] Fall prevention involves managing a patient’s underlying fall risk factors and optimizing the physical design and environment.

According to the Joint Commission, the most common contributing factors relating to falls include:

• Inadequate assessment
• Communication failures
• Lack of adherence to protocols and safety practices
• Inadequate staff orientation, supervision, staffing levels or skill mix
• Deficiencies in the physical environment
• Lack of leadership^[vi]

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