KEY POINTS
I International healthcare quality standards acknowledge that falls are one of the most common adverse events in healthcare settings for older people; therefore, healthcare providers must develop policies and procedures to meet best practice based on corporate governance and accountability and have measures in place to minimise harm from falls
I Preventing older people from falling in residential healthcare care settings continues to be a priority for healthcare providers
I The use of screening tools is important to identify individual residents or patients at risk of falling, so that measures can be put in place to protect the safety and welfare of the individual
I Falls prevention and management is a collaborative process, whereby residents or patients, their families and all healthcare staff members need to engage in the development of the falls-prevention plan for the individual at risk and for the organisation