Fall Risk Assessments in Home Care: OASIS-C Expectations

Abstract

The revised version of the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS-C) contains many changes to the data set including the addition of process measure items, which looks at specific evidence-based practices agencies have in place to address high-risk, high-volume, problem-prone areas. One of these process measure areas, namely, falls prevention, addresses agencies’ processes for assessing fall risk and implementing steps to reduce and prevent falls. This article identifies problems regarding home care falls, details the item in the data set pertaining to fall risk assessment, describes several possible falls risk assessments that can be used, and explores strategies to meet the OASIS-C process measure item for multifactor fall risk assessment. Tests that are multifactorial, along with other more specific focused risk-assessment tools are described.