# Falls --- **Falls** are the number one [[injury]] that can happen to [[older adult|older adults]] ## Fall Risk Assessment Risk factors - history of falling - secondary diagnosis - being on medications - side effects, dizzy, frequent urination, etc - Illness - [[ambulatory assistive devices]] - don't use hospital furniture, most of it is on wheels - IV therapy (easy to get tangled) - [[gait]] impairment - [[mental status assessment|mental status]] - not just "alert and oriented", but more are they cooperative/can remember to ask for help if they need it - "overestimates or forgets limits" ### Morse Fall Scale The **Morse fall scale** is a common assessment tool for seeing how likely someone would be for a fall. This takes into account things like the patient's mobility, their mental awareness, any medication they might be on, their past fall history, and other things. ___