Impact of implementing the Falls BPG Order Sets at Region of Niagara

By: Ronna Perin, RPN, supervisor, clinical documentation and informatics, Region of Niagara

Implementing the Falls BPG Order Sets across three long-term care (LTC) homes operated by the Region of Niagara has been challenging and rewarding with the competing demands of the pandemic. Niagara Region staff continue to be committed to improving the resident experience and working collaboratively with our partners. Having successfully completed the demonstration project, our focus now is to implement the order sets across our remaining five LTC homes to mitigate the risks for residents and reduce falls utilizing an interdisciplinary approach.

Feedback received from the homes to date affirms the order sets have increased front-line staff’s confidence, knowledge, skills and abilities to identify residents at risk for falls earlier. In addition, staff proactively implemented interventions for the prevention of falls and fall-related injuries. The preliminary post-implementation results are shown in Table 2. Woodlands of Sunset has had a notable and sustained reduction in falls-related injuries. In August 2020, 27.59 per cent of the residents in this LTC home had a fall-related injury compared to 13.04 per cent in December, reflecting a 14.55 per cent reduction in four months. Unfortunately, the falls rate has fluctuated at both Gilmore Lodge and Rapelje Lodge due to the pandemic. Residents have been isolated, their movements have been curtailed, and their sleep schedules have been disrupted, coupled with a reduction in group physiotherapy and exercise programs. This has put them at increased risk for falls.

Table 2: Impact of Implementing the Falls BPG Order Sets at Niagara Region

Niagara Region falls NQuIRE chart

The Region of Niagara’s mission is: “Working together, we provide the highest quality of life for seniors living in long-term care and in the community.” RNAO has been a great partner to help support our efforts in reducing falls and this project aligns nicely with our mission statement. We continue on our journey as an RNAO Best Practice Spotlight Organization.