Team Up to Stay Up: Implementing a Comprehensive Interprofessional Fall Risk Assessment with Older Adults Residing in Assisted Living

Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults, particularly those residing in assisted living facilities (ALFs). Interprofessional (IP) collaboration is crucial in addressing this multifaceted issue, as it leverages the diverse expertise of health professions to enhance patient safety. This activity aimed to implement an interprofessional experience for students to assess fall risk among older adults in ALFs. The goals included fostering teamwork, practicing effective communication, developing interprofessional competencies, and creating actionable recommendations to mitigate fall risk for the older adult.Implementation: Students from nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology participated in a structured IP learning experience in the older adult’s ALF home. The program commenced with an orientation session on the experience, followed by a comprehensive assessment completed by disciplines both asynchronously and synchronously, and concluded with an interprofessional team meeting. The multi-session experience took place across five assisted living facilities and 5 pathways in Omaha, Anchorage, Denver, and Phoenix.Evaluation plan: Students were assessed individually and in interprofessional teams. Faculty facilitators of the experience utilized a grading rubric based on the Creighton Interprofessional Communication Evaluation (C-ICE) tool to assess the teams’ ability to demonstrate IPEC competencies.Outcome(s) and significance: Post-experience surveys indicated a significant improvement in students’ confidence in conducting assessments, collaborating with peers, and understanding the roles of different health professionals. Feedback from facility staff highlighted the value of the recommendations provided by students, many of which were implemented to improve resident safety.

By engaging in hands-on assessments and developing comprehensive care plans, students gained valuable insights into the importance of teamwork in enhancing resident outcomes.

Future iterations of this program will incorporate additional evaluation metrics and expand to include a broader range of health professions, ultimately fostering a culture of collaborative care in geriatric health settings.