Take Your Time, You've Earned It: Gilbert Fire & Rescue Creates New Program to Reduce Fall Risks

Falls: The most common service call for Gilbert Fire & Rescue

For years, Gilbert Fire & Rescue has done fall prevention outreach using "A Matter of Balance," a popular evidence-based program, but the number of falls in Gilbert remained relatively high. Out of this problem came Gilbert's own unique outreach effort, "Take Your Time, You've Earned It." Rather than focusing on just older adults, as had been done before, Gilbert's initiative also focused on educating employees at assisted living facilities. This proved important for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it keeps fall safety precautions top of mind for essential caregivers. The program teaches at-risk adults how to best prevent falls, while also teaching caretakers how to manage falls when they do occur. The program helps to build relationships between Fire & Rescue and the Gilbert community. Firefighters foster trust as they engage with facility staff and make meaningful connections with residents. The ongoing initiative also aligns with Fire & Rescue's mission to provide "innovative prevention, compliance, and community outreach efforts."

Slippery floors can increase fall risk by almost 40%*

Folks who attend the program learn strategies for keeping their living space safe, such as ensuring sufficient lighting, avoiding wet floors, wearing proper shoes, and considering the placement of cords, rugs, and other trip hazards. They also learn about how their physical health affects their fall risk. For example, participants are taught to take their time when standing up from a sitting position. (Many fall prevention programs don't address this, and it's how Gilbert's program got its name!)

Caregivers are also taught the proper way to lift someone who has fallen, and they learn what to expect when a call to GFRD becomes necessary.

A 29% reduction and counting

"Take Your Time, You've Earned It" was piloted in four assisted living facilities in Gilbert. To measure the program's success, GFRD gathered fall data from six months before and six months after each presentation. In each case, the results showed a significant decrease, indicating that the outreach was effective.

What's next?

Following the initial rollout, the program has been brought to four more assisted living locations and two behavioral health facilities. (These presentations took place within the last 6 months, so data for them is still to come.)

Gilbert Fire & Rescue is also looking at other data to measure the impact of its program. Service calls related to falls have decreased since the program began, and the department is also gathering data about lifting-related injuries. (Lifting a fallen person can injure GFRD crewmembers, so a reduction in calls may mean a reduction in crew injuries.)

What can I do?

If you are an older adult or someone who provides care for an older adult, you can take action to help prevent falls! Understand the risk factors, which include:

INTERNAL FACTORS

• History of falls
• Age
• Chronic disease
• Gender (women tend to be at a higher risk than men)
• Medication effects
• Living alone
• Vision/mobility impairments

EXTERNAL FACTORS

• Poor lighting
• Slippery floors
• Stairs
• Uneven surfaces

Steps you can take include:

• Monitor the living space for hazards
• Consider medication side effects like drowsiness or dizziness
• Make sure the living space is well lit
• Get routine eye exams and, if necessary, corrective measures
• Use mobility aids when needed
• Take your time when going from a sitting to a standing position

Together, we can work to prevent falls from happening. If you have questions, or for more information, visit Gilbert Fire & Rescue's Falls Prevention page and AZStopFalls.org.

_{*Sophonratanapokin B, Sawangdee Y, Soonthorndhada K. Effect of the living environment on falls among the elderly in Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2012 Nov;43(6):1537-47. PMID: 23413718.}