Every year, one third of community-dwelling seniors experience an accidental fall. This makes fall injuries the number one cause of injury deaths among seniors. Recent research has demonstrated that a multi-disciplinary fall prevention program under the general supervision of a physician can significantly modify the risk of fall injuries.

 When patients are homebound, prescribe a comprehensive, home-based, fall prevention program from Allegiance Home Health & Rehab. The home health services available through Allegiance can both prevent falls and lessen the severity of injuries when falls do occur.

Indications for a fall prevention program:

  • A recent fall or history of falls
  • Asymmetrical gait
  • Low foot clearance
  • Difficulty with the Timed Up & Go Test (14 seconds or greater)

The Allegiance fall prevention program can include:

  • The combined expertise of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and home health nurses
  • Home safety assessment & modifications
  • Gait Training
  • Balance training/ proprioceptive rehabilitation
  • Transfer training
  • Strengthening (lower and upper extremities)
  • ROM (lower and upper extremities)
  • Training with ambulation devices
  • Optimization of activities of daily living
  • Customized home exercise plan
  • Medication review (including medicine cabinet and pantry review)

The majority of fall injuries occur at home, so a home-based fall prevention program may prove the optimal intervention strategy. A recent study including 360 community-dwelling, frail seniors found that home assessments alone reduced the incidence of falls by 37%. Future falls were most likely to be reduced among seniors who experienced a recent fall. Researchers theorize that the recent fall made seniors more motivated to implement continuously at least one suggestion from the home assessment. Gardner et al showed how an individually tailored, home-based training program reduced the incidence of falls among geriatric patients and moderated the severity of injuries.
With one third of seniors experiencing an accidental fall each year, doctors should expect that a significant percentage of their patients would qualify for fall prevention efforts. On average, Medicare’s cost savings from preventing one fall injury justifies 11 home health episodes. Referring patients for fall prevention saves money for Medicare while promoting the health and independence of your patients.

Medicare Pays 100%
For qualified patients, Medicare pays 100% of allowable charges from Allegiance Home Health & Rehab. Your patients have no out-of-pocket expenses. When patients qualify for and receive home health, Medicare usually saves significant money in terms of future healthcare usage.