Slips, trips and falls are a chronic health problem in the US and around the world. Fall injuries are the number one cause of emergency room visits and the fourteenth leading cause of death in the US. The average person is 7 times more likely to die from a fall than from the flu and 3 times more likely to die from a fall than by a firearm. Since 1999, we have reduced deaths from heart disease 15%. Deaths caused by auto accidents are down 12%. But during that same time period deaths from falls have increased over 150%. Both injuries and deaths caused by falls are at record highs and the problem continues to grow. We've learned how to fix the human heart and we have made driving safer. Now is the time to focus on preventing fall injuries.The good news is that fall injuries are preventable. Everyone falls, but falls don't just happen, they're preceded by other events. When you eliminate those events, you reduce the risk of falling. Stop the Slip shows how you can avoid these injuries. Following the simple five step A-L-E-R-T System(tm) discussed in the book you will reduce your risk of falling.Thom Disch provides an entertaining and engaging look at: Why we fall; where we fall; the business side of falls; and most importantly how we can prevent and avoid fall injuries. The book is a comprehensive mix of research on the topic of falls and fall injuries mixed with real world stories and experiences about falls and their consequences. As you read this book you'll also discover many interesting and surprising facts. For example: *Fall injuries are not just a problem for the elderly. 75% of all fall injuries happen to people under the age of 68.*The annual economic impact of fall injuries in the US exceeds $150 billion, or more than 1% of our gross domestic product. *Falls are the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries. *Falls cause nearly 4 times more emergency room visits than auto accidents.

The average cost of a worker fall is $12,470, increasing to over $26,000 when lost production and other costs are factored in. At a profit margin of 10%, more than $250,000 of revenue needs to be generated to cover a single slip/fall loss. Costs are higher for falls sustained by the public. Slip and Fall Prevention: A Practical Handbook resp

The WHO Falls Prevention for Active Ageing model provides an action plan for making progress in reducing the prevalence of falls in the older adult population. By building on the three pillars of falls prevention, the model proposes specific strategies for: 1. Building awareness of the importance of falls prevention and treatment; 2. Improving the assessment of individual, environmental, and societal factors that increase the likelihood of falls; and 3. For facilitating the design and implementation of culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions that will significantly reduce the number of falls among older persons. The model provides strategies and solutions that will require the engagement of multiple sectors of society. It is dependent on and consistent with the vision articulated in the WHO Active Ageing Policy Framework. Although not all of the awareness, assessment, and intervention strategies identified in the model apply equally well in all regions of the world, there are significant evidence-based strategies that can be effectively implemented in all regions and cultures. The degree to which progress will be made depends on to the success in integrating falls prevention strategies into the overall health and social care agendas globally. In order to do this effectively, it is necessary to identify and implement culturally appropriate, evidence-based policies and procedures. This requires multi-sectoral, collaborations, strong commitment to public and professional education, interaction based on evidence drawn from a variety of traditional, complementary, and alternative sources. Although the understanding of the evidence-base is growing, there is much that is not yet understood. Thus, there is an urgent need for continued research in all areas of falls prevention and treatment in order to better understand the scope of the problem worldwide. In particular, more evidence of the cost-effectiveness of interconnections is needed to develop strategies that are most likely to be effective in specific setting and population sub-groups.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

4. EVIDENCE-BASED BEST PREACTICES FOR THE PREVENTION OF FALLS: 4.1 Existing practice guidelines ; 4.2 Best practices for fall prevention ; 4.3 Selecting appropriate approaches according to setting; 4.4 Recovery from a fall ;4.5 Factors influencing client compliance in fall prevention . 5. SUPPORTING FALL PREVENTION STRATEGIES. 6. THE WAY FORWARD; References; List of tables and figures; Appendix A: Risk factors for falls and fall-related ; Appendix B: List of the Public Health Agency of Canada's resources on seniors' falls.