Falls continue to be a concern here in Summit County. We’ve seen significant fall-related injuries to those we serve in the past year. Since the beginning of 2022, Summit DD has investigated approximately 74 MUIs involving falls. The number of UI level falls is likely much higher than that. Learn more about an investigative tool that can help prevent future falls and injuries.
Midway through 2023, Summit DD has investigated approximately 31 MUIs which concern someone falling and significantly hurting themselves. Of these 31 incidents, 30 different individuals were involved. The primary location of falls this year have occurred at the individual’s primary residence.
Fall related Injuries
The types of injuries related to these 2023 MUIs includes:
- Fracture (19)
- Immobilization (5)
- Laceration with 5 or more sutures (5)
- Concussion (2).
Causes
The major identified causes to these falls include:
- Lost balance (11)
- Environmental or clothing (11)
- Prior medical issue (7)
- Medication issue (1)
- Slippery surface (1) (some cases have more than one cause).
*8 of the 30 individuals have also had prior histories of falling.
New Tool for Prevention and Procedure
Falls are preventable. A good provider UI procedure will absolutely help prevent future falls. The Summit DD MUI team has put together an investigative tool for providers to use as a part of their UI and MUI fall investigations. This tool includes prompts and suggestions for a provider investigator to use to dig deeper into potential causes and preventative measures for the person served who fell.
Download the Fall Investigative Questions-Provider Tool
Questions?
If you have questions about fall prevention or would like more in depth training on UI investigative best practices, please reach out to either MUI Senior Manager Wayne Hershey at wh******@su******.org or IA Analyst Matt Klink at mk****@su******.org.
