Our patient was on the floor in the hallway and simply could not get himself up. He didn’t think he was hurt and we could not find any injuries. A few minutes later he was back in his chair and refusing transport. Fall calls are common for EMS professionals. They also are risky because they could lead to lifting injuries, patient refusals of assessment and treatment, and missing more serious complaints or underlying problems without a thorough assessment.
September 20-27, 2009 is Fall Prevention week. Since falls are such a significant issue for most EMS professionals EverydayEMSTips.com has assembled a list of websites, articles, and training resources about fall prevention and fall related injuries:
1. Everyday EMS Tips Column on how an EMS agency can start a community Fall Prevention program
2. View RapidCE continuing education lessons on fall related injuries like hip fractures, pelvic fractures, musculoskeletal injury assessment and treatment.
3.Fall prevention tips you can share with fall and at-risk of falling patients.
4.Fall Prevention Week ideas and resources from the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence – StopFalls.org
5.Fall Prevention information from the Maryland Family Health Administration – statistics, prevention strategies, and links to additional resources.
6. CDC resources related to falls.
7. Use social media tools like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter to share Fall Prevention resources with your community.
