MDS Alert

Risk Management Tool:

Rate And Track Fall-Related Injuries Using These Categories

Detect facility-wide trends or a resident with an escalating pattern of injuries.

You can augment your fall tracking and risk management by documenting each resident's fall-related injuries using a format developed by Joanne Rader, RN, MN, FAAN, a consultant in Silverton, OR, who has published research on falls in nursing home settings.

The scoring categories include the following:

0: No injury

1: Minor injury that does not require treatment, including minor bruises and bumps.

2: Moderate injury requiring some intervention provided in the facility, including ice-packs, bandages or Steri-Strips. Injuries would include abrasions, bumps, lacerations and sprains. 

3: Moderate injury. The resident is not found to have a severe injury but required additional assessment--for example, a physician visit, an emergency department visit and/or imaging.

4: Severe injury requiring medical intervention with or without hospitalization. Examples include a fracture, concussion, subdural hematoma and laceration requiring suturing.

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