Primary Prevention of Falls Using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) Toolkit
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Authors
Windisch, Emily
Issue Date
2025-05-16
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Issue
Type
Manuscript
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Keywords
Falls , Older Adults , Screening , Primary Care
Alternative Title
Abstract
Fall prevention has been the subject of research for multiple decades due to the continued increase in occurrence rate in the older adult population (age 65+) and the high economic burden it places on healthcare systems internationally (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing (DNP) Quality Improvement (QI) project was to decrease the number of fall occurrences in older adults at a senior living community in Austin, Texas by incorporating the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) algorithm as the primary tool for fall screening. The STEADI algorithm helps screen patients for fall risk in a timely manner, assess modifiable risk factors, and create individualized interventions in their plan of care. A total of seventeen patients met the inclusion requirements during the 3-month project implementation and were screened for falls utilizing STEADI algorithm. Of those screened, 11.8 % (n=2) were found not be a fall risk, while 88.2% (n=15) screened for a positive fall risk. All fifteen were able to develop a fall plan of care (FPOC). Results showed that five patients reported a mechanical fall within the last year and the one-month post screening phone calls reported 14.2% (n=2) patients who had a new fall since their screening. Longer monitoring of the patients that have been screened will be necessary to determine if the number of falls has truly reduced since implementing the tool.
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Publisher
Creighton University
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Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University