October 15, 2019
Protocol helps members prevent and reduce falls using guidelines from leading agencies
SEPT. 8, 2017, WESTLAKE, OHIO—One in four older adults will die from a fall this year. Falls are the No. 1 cause of injuries resulting in emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths among Ohioans 65 and older.
Fortunately, falls can be prevented and reduced. Kendal at Home, a program that allows older adults to remain in their homes as they age, has launched a protocol aimed at helping its members stay safe from falls.
How the Protocol Works
Kendal at Home’s fall prevention protocol uses guidelines from the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries initiative at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When a member joins Kendal at Home, he or she receives a life plan coordination team that works with the member throughout his or her lifetime. The life plan coordination team helps the member maintain his or her health, and if the need arises, advocates for the member when health care is needed.
The life plan coordination team helps members assess their risk for falling. If a member scores above a certain number, he or she is given a Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, as well as an evaluation of his or her gait, strength and balance. A TUG test tells the life plan coordinator if the member is at high risk for falls. After the test and evaluations are complete, the life plan coordination team shares the results with the member and sends the results to the member’s primary care physician.
In addition to an initial fall assessment, members will receive an annual plan of care, which may include more fall prevention resources and assistance finding classes and community resources to help them with strength and balance.
“Falls are not a normal part of aging, and we want to do everything we can to help older adults and our members prevent and avoid this common cause of injury and death,” said Lynne Giacobbe, executive director of Kendal at Home. “Through this new protocol, it is our hope that our members will become better educated about the risks of falls and will use this information to speak with their healthcare providers and make the necessary changes to prevent and reduce their risk of falling.”
About Kendal at Home
An affiliate of the Kendal Corporation, Kendal at Home is a unique aging-in-place program that gives older adults the ability to remain in their homes as they age while providing them the safety and security they and their families desire. For more information about Kendal at Home, visit its website or blog.