Lancaster AD, Ayers A, Belbot B, et al. Preventing falls and eliminating injury at Ascension Health. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 2007 Jul;33(7):367-375.

Eight Ascension Health hospitals served as alpha sites in a program to prevent falls and eliminate falls with injury. A nearly 10 percent system-wide reduction in acute care fall rates was achieved by implementing a standardized risk assessment at defined frequencies along with other tailored prevention strategies. Key steps caregivers can take to prevent falls and fall injuries are described.

Haines TP, Hill K, Walsh W, Osborne R. Design-related bias in hospital fall risk screening tool predictive accuracy evaluations: Systematic rReview and meta-analysis. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Online. 2007 Jun;62(6):664-672.

This article describes a study of fall risk assessment tools and why they can lead to overoptimistic results. The authors discuss the importance of nursing staff clinical judgment in evaluating fall risk.

Kado D, Huang M, Nguyen C, Barrett-Connor E, Greendale G. Hyperkyphotic posture and risk of injurious falls in older persons: The Rancho Bernardo Study. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Online. 2007 Jun;62(6):652-657.

This article describes why moderate hyperkyphotic posture may signify an easily identifiable independent risk factor for injurious falls in older men, with the association being less pronounced in older women.

American Geriatrics Society, British Geriatrics Society, and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Panel on Falls Prevention. Guideline for the Prevention of Falls in Older Persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Association. 2001 May;49(5):664-672.

This soon-to-be-updated set of guidelines explores risks for falling among older adults, and outlines promising preventive measures based on fall risk evaluation results.

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Hoffman SB, Powell-Cope G, MacClellan L, Bero K. BedSAFE. A bed safety project for frail older adults. Journal of Gerontological Nursing. 2003 Nov;29(11):34-42.

In response to heightened awareness of patient safety, restraint reduction, and the potential for life-threatening entrapment caused by bed rails, a quality improvement program entitled BedSAFE was conducted to systematically and safely decrease the use of bed rails in three nursing home care units. This article describes an interdisciplinary process of individualized patient assessment, selection of appropriate alternatives for residents, compliance monitoring, training, and monitoring of patient outcomes, including falls and injuries related to falls from bed.

Nelson A, Powell-Cope G, Gavin-Dreschnack D, et al. Technology to promote safe mobility in the elderly. Nursing Clinics of North America. 2004 Sep;39(3):649-671.

This article discusses technologies designed to help prevent adverse events related to the mobility of geriatric patients (i.e., patient falls, bed rail entrapment, patient handling, and wandering), including hip protectors, wheelchair/scooter safety features, intelligent walkers, fall alarms, and environmental aids.

Powell-Cope G, Baptiste AS, Nelson A. Modification of bed systems and use of accessories to reduce the risk of hospital-bed entrapment. Rehabilitation Nursing. 2005 Jan-Feb;30(1):9-17.

Despite the long history of hospital-bed use, only in the past decade have bed-related patient safety hazards, including falls and life-threatening entrapment, been discussed publicly. This article describes a facility-based approach for identifying and managing risk related to hospital bed-entrapment to be used in rehabilitation settings.

Luther SL, French DD, Powell-Cope G, Rubenstein LZ, Campbell R. Using administrative data to track fall-related ambulatory care services in the Veterans Administration Healthcare system. Aging Clinical Experimental Research. 2005 Oct;17(5):412-418.

This study describes the trends (FY1997-2001) and patterns of fall-related ambulatory care encounters (FY2001) in the VA Healthcare System. In view of the aging population served by the VA and the movement to provide increased services in the outpatient setting, this database provides an important resource for researchers and administrators interested in the prevention and treatment of fall-related injuries.

Talerico KA, Capezuti E. Myths and facts about side rails. American Journal of Nursing. 2001;101(7):43-48.

The article outlines the risks involved with bed rail use, alternative methods of restraining patients at risk for falling, and identifies several resources for preventing harm from bed rails.

Smyth C, Dubin S, Restrepo A, Nueva-Espana H, Capezuti E. Creating order out of chaos: Models of GNP practice with hospitalized older adults. Clinical Excellence for Nurse Practitioners. 2001;5(2):88-95.

It has been well documented that hospitalization of an older adult can trigger a cascade of events that negatively affect quality of life long after hospitalization. Three models of care directed by hospital-based geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs) are described. The GNP's role includes primary care provider, consultant, educator, researcher, and/or administrator.