In my experience client’s always say, ‘No’ because unless they broke something or have visible injuries such as bruises, in their mind the ‘stumble’ that they had that morning didn’t count as a fall.
As defined by the World Health Organization, a fall is “an event which results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or floor or other lower level.”1 As an OT I have often found that asking a client if they have had any trips or stumbles lately tending to yield a more useful and accurate conversation around falls.
Unfortunately falls continue to be the top cause of injury hospitalisations and injury caused deaths in Australia and are reportedly most likely to occur at home2. Preventing falls is therefore one of the highest priorities of community based Occupational Therapists, and a role that we take very seriously.
When talking with a client about falls, or assessing the home here are a few of the many things that we will likely cover: