Fall assessment in home health

[JoanKayRNBSN]

If this has already been addressed - please forgive me! Is a fall risk assessment a standard part of your initial assessment in home health? I want to add one, and I’ve been told it’s not needed. If yes - is there one geared towards home health? How often do you do it?

[caliotter3]

I would think it is a standard part of the initial assessment based on the fact that I find a copy of the tool used with the admissions paperwork filed in each case binder. This has been pretty much across the board for cases with major home health agencies that I have worked for over the years.

[Kaisu]

Fall assessment is a critical component of the admission. You can use timed up and go (Tug), The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (JHFRAT) or any one of many standard stratified screening tools. I would not do an admission without one.

[Matikins RN, BSN]

The Fall Risk Assessment-

As per regulations it is part of your comprehensive assessment at time of Start of Care/ Resumption/ Recertification/ Follow up/ discharge. It is best practice to conduct a fall risk assessment. Assessing for falls is a reported measure to CMS which help calculate Star ratings 1-5.

G528

§484.55(c) Standard: Content of the comprehensive assessment.
The comprehensive assessment must accurately reflect the patient's status, and must include, at a minimum, the following information: The patient’s current health, psychosocial, functional, and cognitive status; Interpretive Guidelines §484.55(c)(1)
Completion of the comprehensive assessment should provide the HHA with a complete picture of the patient’s status to assist the HHA in developing the patient’s plan of care.
Assessment of the patient’s current health status includes relevant past medical history as well as all active health and medical problems.
Assessment of a patient’s psychosocial status and his/her functional capacity within the community is intended to be a screening of the patient’s relationships, living environment, impact on the delivery of services and ability to participate in his/her own care. Assessment of a patient’s functional status includes the patient’s level of ability to function independently in the home such as activities of daily living.
Assessment of a patient’s cognitive status refers to an evaluation of the degree of his or her ability to understand, remember, and participate in developing and implementing the plan of care.

The agencies I have worked for mostly use TUG scores and the MAHC-10.