Registered Nurses´ Association of Ontario
Resources
Tools for Risk Assessment
The following are examples of tools for risk assessment of falls. The tool used must be appropriate for the setting and for the specific client population.
Therefore, it is essential to assess the patient population in order to select a tool most appropriate for the setting.
- Morse Fall Scale
The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) (Morse, Morse, & Tylko, 1989) is used widely in acute care settings, both in hospital and long-term care inpatient settings. The MFS requires systematic, reliable assessment of a client’s fall risk factors upon admission, after a fall, with a change in status, and at discharge or transfer to a new setting.
Available: The National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) http://www.va.gov/NCPS/CogAids/FallPrevention/index.html - STRATIFY (St. Thomas Risk Assessment Tool in Falling Elderly Inpatients)
Author: Oliver, D., Britton, M., Martin, F. C., & Hopper, A. H. (1997)
The St. Thomas’s risk assessment tool (STRATIFY) (Oliver et al., 1997) is used to identify clinical fall risk factors in the elderly and to predict chance of falling.
Available: Dr. Oliver
Address: Department of Elderly Care (Division of Medicine)
United Medical and Dental Schools,
St. Thomas’s Hospital
London, UK SE1 7EH
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Hendrich II Fall Risk Model©
Author: Hendrich, A., Nyhuuis, A., Kppenbrock, T., & Soja, M. E. (1995) The Hendrich II Fall Risk Model© (Hendrich, Nyhuuis, Kppenbrock, & Soja, 1995) is used both nationally and internationally to identify patients at risk for falls.
Contact: Ann Hendrich, Inc.
P.O. Box 50346
Clayton, MO 63105
U.S.A.
Phone: (866) 653-6660
Licensing information available at: http://www.ahincorp.com/license/index.php
Implementation Tools
The following resources can help you implement the Prevention of Falls and Fall Injuries in the Older Adult guideline in your organization and can be downloaded at http://www.RNAO.org/bestpractices
- Falls Prevention: Building the Foundations for Patient Safety, Self-Learning Package
- Toolbox for Implementation of Falls Prevention in Long-Term Care
- Health Education Fact Sheet: Reduce Your Risk for Falls
Websites
- Restorative Care Education and Training Program: http://www.uwo.ca/actage/comm_collaboration/raetp.htm
- Restraints - College of Nurses of Ontario: http://www.cno.org/docs/prac/41043_Restraints.pdf
- Report of the Restraints Task Force: Minimizing Ontario Hospital Association (November 2, 2001) the use of Restraints in Ontario Hospitals: http://www.oha.com (See Reports and Studies)
- Patient Restraints Minimization Act, 2001: Ontario Legislative Library http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca:81/isysquery/IRL1DFE.tmp/1/doc
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis Scientific Advisory Board, Osteoporosis Society of Canada and Management of Osteoporosis - Scientific Advisory Board, Osteoporosis Society of Canada: http://www.osteoporosis.ca
