Background: Falls are a frequent and serious problem facing residents in aged-care facilities. Their prevention continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of the increasingly complex health-care needs of the aged. A fall can impact hugely on a resident's quality of life, health and health-care costs. Evidence supports the completion of a falls risk assessment and a program of multiple interventions as successful measures in reducing falls.
Objective: The aim of this project was to improve the local practice in the prevention of falls and to ensure this practice is performed according to the best available evidence.
Method: The Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System program was the clinical audit tool used. This program utilised a process of audit, feedback and reaudit as a strategy to improve practice. This was to be completed by developing a strategy to implement an interdisciplinary and multifactorial strategy to falls prevention in a rural, residential aged-care facility. A program of multiple interventions that were aimed at minimising individual client's risk of falling was utilised in this project.
Results: The 20-week intervention program of this project had a positive effect on audit criterion that supports the evidence-based practice for an interdisciplinary, multifactorial falls prevention program. The number of residents falling and the number of falls occurring were significantly reduced.
Conclusion: An interdisciplinary and multifactorial prevention program may reduce falls in an aged-care facility. The Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System program proved to be an effective and easy-to-use tool to stimulate clinical change in the workplace. Its cycle of audit, feedback and reaudit can easily be utilised to improve other clinical issues relevant to our facility.