CDC - Older Adult Falls - Preventing Falls Among Older Adults - Home and Recreational Safety - Injury Center

CDC - Older Adult Falls - Preventing Falls Among Older Adults - Home and Recreational Safety - Injury Center

STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) Tool Kit for Health Care Providers

Did you realize that one out of three people 65 and older falls each year?

The good news is that health care providers can help reduce their patients’ chances of falling and of suffering serious injuries like hip fractures and traumatic brain damage.

CDC’s Injury Center created the STEADI Tool Kit for health care providers who see older adults in their practice who are at risk of falling or who may have fallen in the past. The STEADI Tool Kit gives health care providers the information and tools they need to assess and address their older patients’ fall risk.

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Order Tool Kits

To order print copies of the STEADI Tool Kit materials, please go to the CDC-INFO on Demand Publications page and search for STEADI.

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Download PDFs

Download STEADI Tool Kit Materials

Make Fall Prevention Part of Your Practice

• Triage Your Patients Based on Fall Risk This tool walks health care providers through assessing a patient’s fall risk, educating patients, selecting interventions, and following up.
• Have Your Patients Check Their Risk of Falling Mantenga su independencia This brochure offers a checklist that patients can use to check their risk of falling.(Available in both English and Spanish.)
• Prevent Falls in Older Patients, Provider Pocket Guide This small, easy-to-use tool walks health care providers through key points of fall prevention.

• See Your Patient's Risk at a Glance This checklist allows health care providers to summarize an older patient's fall risk.
• Integrate Fall Prevention into Your Practice This wall chart helps health care providers determine who in their practice will be responsible for conducting fall risk assessments, delivering interventions, and providing education to older patients.
• Talk about Fall Prevention with Your Patients This document can help health care providers comfortably talk about fall prevention with patients.

Get Background Information about Falls

• Falls Are a Major Threat for Your Patients Learn how serious a problem falls are for older adults.
  
• Risk Factors for Falls Learn which modifiable risk factors you should focus on first to prevent falls among your patients.

• Medications Linked to Falls Learn how medication management can reduce falls.      

Read Case Studies Featuring Patients at Risk of Falling

• Case Study 1 Mrs. Booker, a low-risk patient who has come in for a wellness visit.
  
  
• Case Study 2 Mr. Ying, a medium-risk patient who has been limiting his activities.
  
  

• Case Study 3 Mrs. White, a high-risk patient who had a recent fall.

Use Validated Tests to Assess Your Patients’ Falls Risk Factors

• The Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test Use this test to assess a patient's mobility. See our simple instructions, and watch the short video on how to conduct the test. Instructional Video
• The 30-Second Chair Stand Test Use this test to assess a patient's leg strength and endurance. See our simple instructions, and watch the short video on how to conduct the test. Instructional Video

• The 4-Stage Balance Test Use this test to assess a patient's balance. See our simple instructions, and watch the short video on how to conduct the test. Instructional Video
• Measuring Orthostatic Blood Pressure Use this tool to determine if a patient may have postural hypotension.

Offer Your Patients a Medical Referral

• Patient Referral Form Use this form to refer a patient to a specialist for gait and mobility problems or for other medical problems that may increase his or her risk of falling.

Offer Your Patients Encouragement, Resources & Referrals

• Stay Independent Mantenga su independencia Give this brochure to patients to help them to check their risk of falling.(Available in both English and Spanish.)
• Chair Rise Exercise Ejercicios de elevación con una silla Recommend this simple exercise to your older patients to help improve their thigh and buttock strength and to reduce their fall risk. (Available in both English and Spanish.)
• Recommended Programs Form Use this form to recommend community programs to your older patients to increase their strength and balance. An example of such a program is Tai Chi.

• Postural Hypotension, What It Is and How to Manage It Hipotensión postural, Qué es y cómo controlarla Use this brochure to teach patients how to manage their postural hypotension.(Available in both English and Spanish.)
• What YOU Can Do to Prevent FallsUse this brochure to help patients learn how to reduce their chances of falling.
  
• Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older AdultsEncourage patients to use this checklist to help identify and eliminate fall hazards in their home.