Question

A home health agency has audited occurrences of falls over the last 12 months. The organization was cited by The Joint Commission for having insufficient fall prevention measures.

What should the home health agency do to resolve this issue?
A.) Provide at-risk patients with 24-hour care
B.) Educate patients on actions to take after a fall
C.) Report patient falls for the next two months and take action if falls continue to increase
D.) Institute a policy to identify patients most likely to fall and procedures to assist in ambulating

Answer 1

To rectify the cited fall prevention insufficiencies, a home health agency should identify patients at risk of falling, educate on prevention and post-fall actions, and monitor falls to adjust their strategies.

Step-by-step explanation:

To resolve the issue of insufficient fall prevention measures cited by The Joint Commission, a home health agency should first institute a policy to identify patients most likely to fall and establish procedures to assist them in ambulating. This means conducting risk assessments to spot common risk factors like mobility issues, medication side-effects, or environmental hazards in the home. Additionally, the agency should provide comprehensive education to all involved staff and patients on fall prevention strategies and actions to take after a fall to ensure safety and minimize injury.

It is crucial to implement an ongoing monitoring system to track the occurrence of falls and evaluate the effectiveness of the new policies. If falls continue, the agency must analyze the incidents and make adjustments to their prevention strategies. In this way, the agency can demonstrate to The Joint Commission that they are taking active steps to reduce fall risks and improve patient safety.