Many healthcare organizations are working to find ways to reduce the number of falls as well as the severity of the falls that do occur. In an effort to help these organizations, F1RST is providing links to valuable resources designed to put the tools you need in your hands. The VA National Center for Patient Safety Falls Toolkit

Falls in older adults can sometimes lead to permanent disability, fear of leaving home and loss of independence. The 5 professional tools and 17 educational tools included in the Merck Falls Toolkit will help physicians evaluate a patients risk of falling, and teach patients how to reduce such a risk. The Falls Toolkit is used for the initial evaluation and management of a patient who experiences falls, and provides educational materials to teach patients how to reduce their risk of falling.

The toolkits are designed for use by medical professionals and are not recommended for use by lay persons looking to diagnose or manage a medical problem. However, if you are not a medical professional but are interested in the issues addressed in the toolkits, we encourage you to download the tools and discuss them with your doctor.

Safety and Falls in Long-Term Care settings, a link to the Alzheimer's Association