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Professional Resources: Fall Prevention Guidelines, Training and Tools

Last updated on October 30, 2019

Falls and Related Injuries in Residential Care: A Framework & Toolkit for Prevention

This is a report to facilitate the translation of fall prevention evidence into practice in Residential Care settings through the presentation of a Public Health Framework to fall prevention. A Public Health Framework is evidence–based, relying on a careful analysis of the problem and its causes in order to develop practical and effective solutions that are integrated into routine care. It is a staged approach, consisting five program planning steps that build upon each other in a dynamic process and that exist within a social and policy context that is influenced by the seniors who are at risk, their families and care providers, and by current policies and legislation. The report and toolkit are supported by Accreditation Canada.

Strategies and Actions for Independent Living (SAIL)

The goals of the SAIL program are to promote the independence and quality of life for home support service clients by reducing their risk of falling and sustaining an injury and to integrate a comprehensive approach to fall prevention into regular practice. This program is coordinated through the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) and consists of multi-factorial interventions that are targeted towards seniors who are in need of on-going home support but are not yet in need of institutionalized care. The core elements of the SAIL program are: a falls prevention training program for community health workers (CHW) and home health professionals (HHP), a falls monitoring and reporting system, the implementation of a client-centered risk assessment and prevention tool, and protocols for identifying and addressing those determined to be at high risk for falls.

Primary Care Fall Prevention Multimedia Package

The Fall Prevention Multimedia Package includes a video as well as written resources aimed at engaging both seniors and their doctors. The video highlights some of the ways to reduce fall risks, common health conditions related to falls and practical assessment tools. The resources offer safe and easy-to-follow exercises, recommendations for good sleep habits and ways to make a senior’s home safer to reduce falls.

Resources are available from the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC):

Promoting Active Living (PAL): Best Practice Guidelines for Prevention of Falls among Residents of Assisted Living

This is an evidence-based, practical tool designed to ensure older populations continue to have the best possible quality of life, free of falls. These guidelines are designed to assist staff and residents of assisted living residences to identify and reduce falls and related risk factors.

The guidelines provide steps to assess, implement, and evaluate fall prevention strategies in assisted living; and feature some of the following tools:

  • Fall report form
  • Checklist and action plan
  • Resident and staff survey tool
  • Steps to conduct group fall prevention education sessions
  • DVD titled: “Insight into Hip Fractures”

All assisted living sites registered with the Assisted Living Registry of the Ministry of Health can receive a complimentary copy of these guidelines. Please contact Crown Publications (product code 7610003388.) Organizations outside B.C. may also order copies, but a charge will apply.

Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum (CFPC)

In partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, the provincial government is contributing to the development and implementation of the Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum in B.C. and across Canada. The Curriculum is available in both English and French and is targeted towards health care professionals, community support providers, and policy and program personnel who wish to design, implement and evaluate evidence-based fall prevention programs tailored to their work or community settings. The face-to-face version of the course has been available since November 2007, and has been offered in both English and French over 50 times to approximately 1,000 participants across Canada. Dissemination of the CFPC has been managed by the BCIRPU in collaboration with the Canadian Fall Prevention Education Collaborative (CFPEC) – the first Canada-wide network to address all sectors that work on fall-related risk.

The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit is offering the Canadian Fall Prevention Curriculum (CFPC) as a two-day workshop and as an online course. CFPC is also an accredited course.

The CFPC basic course will provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to operate from an evidence-based approach to the prevention of falls and fall-related injury. Included are insights on involving seniors as partners in the development of effective programs and interventions.

Fall Prevention Organizations

B.C. Falls and Injury Prevention Coalition (BCFIPC)

The B.C. Falls and Injury Prevention Coalition (BCFIPC) is a multi-sectoral collaboration of representatives from regional/provincial organizations, academic institutions, professional associations and community agencies who are concerned with the need to reduce the rate, frequency and severity of falls among older persons in British Columbia. The coalition is comprised of regional health representatives, policy makers, researchers, physicians, managers of provincial and regional falls and injury prevention initiatives, falls prevention project coordinators, geriatric care coordinators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nursing consultants and other organizations representing older persons in B.C.

To find brochures and resources about fall prevention for patients and older adults, see: