AHCA Tool Kit for Nursing Home Falls Prevention

AHCA recently developed a new falls toolkit, called Safe Steps Forward, which is designed to support nursing home providers in strengthening their fall prevention programs through practical, evidence-informed strategies.

Nationally, and in Wisconsin, falls are a prevalent issue impacting residents both in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. These falls may result in injury, decreased functional ability, and diminished quality of life. Taking reasonable steps to prevent falls is a critical piece of delivering high-quality, person-centered care and ensuring the safety and well-being of every resident.

This toolkit is not all-inclusive, but provides information for various resources designed to help interdisciplinary teams identify risk factors, implement targeted interventions, and continuously evaluate outcomes as part of an effective quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) approach.

According to the CDC, Wisconsin has the highest falls death rate among older adults in the country. EMS calls for falls has increased by nearly 34% from 2019 to 2024, with nearly 17% of EMS fall calls made to long-term care facilities. As a result of this trend and advocacy from Fire and EMS departments across the state, there has been significant attention to the issue of falls from Legislators on both sides of the aisle. This toolkit can be an important resource for members to help reduce falls in Wisconsin.