Surprising fall facts:assisted living vs. memory care
What one year and over 78,000 on-the-ground events reveal about falls in different care levels.
Resident falls are one of the toughest challenges senior living communities face. Many organizations have found support in memory care with SafelyYou Respond™, which is proven to reduce falls by 40% and fall-related ER visits by 80%, and achieves these results consistently across communities.
But, how are they supporting assisted living? And what options are available? Read on to understand the facts about falls at different care levels. And how SafelyYou can help.
Fall severity.
30.5%
vs.
40.41%
Level 2 and Level 3 falls
2.53%
vs
3.38%
Which is assisted living, and which is memory care?
SafelyYou’s analysis of over 78,000 on-the-ground events in a year showed that 40.41% of falls in assisted living were level two and level three falls.
In assisted living, residents tend to have greater mobility. This increased movement increases fall severity. Additionally, acuity is increasing in assisted living. Older adults are waiting longer to move into communities, leading to a markedly older population with more complex care needs in AL. The increased age and further compromised health of assisted living residents is also contributing to more severe falls.
A resident in assisted living now has an average of more than 14 chronic conditions. 1
41% of senior living leaders in a recent survey said that acuity is a top challenge, and staffing is shifting to meet increased care needs.2
ER rate by fall count.
2.53%
vs.
3.38%
2.53%
vs
3.38%
Which is assisted living, and which is memory care?
When dividing the total count of fall-related ER visits by the total count of falls at all levels, assisted living falls are leading to ER visits at a higher rate than memory care falls , with AL at 3.38% and MC at 2.53%, for an increase of 33.6%.
With assisted living residents experiencing more severe falls, they’re also experiencing more trips to the ER. Which increases risk for residents and costs for families and communities. Operators need a solution in AL that is proven to reduce falls, risk, and costs, while elevating care for residents, increasing peace of mind for families, and reducing the burden on staff.
ER rate by fall count.
1.83%
vs.
1.99%
2.53%
vs
3.38%
Which is assisted living, and which is memory care?
When dividing the total count of fall-related ER visits by the active bed count, nearly the same ratio of assisted living residents is visiting the ER for falls as memory care residents, with AL at 1.83% and MC at 1.99%.
Falls have been understood to be a crisis in memory care, with previously published data showing that those with cognitive impairment fall twice as often as those without, about four times a year. However, SafelyYou’s analysis of tens of thousands of on-the-ground events just last year showed that nearly the same ratio of assisted living residents is visiting the ER for falls as memory care residents, indicating that falls in AL are now more frequent, more severe, and impacting more residents than ever before.
The falls you don’t find.
Across senior living, silent falls are taking place. These are true fall events in which the resident self-recovers but does not self-report the incident—and the community does not know it occurred. These incidents put both the resident and the community at risk.
SafelyYou has found that 17% of falls in memory care are silent falls. As falls and fall severity in assisted living meet or exceed those in memory care, the number of silent falls in AL will increase—which only increases risk for residents and communities.
Residents may have injuries that go undetected and untreated, compromising their well-being and even threatening their lives.
With residents having injuries of unknown origin, the community is at risk for unfounded abuse and neglect claims.
With residents having injuries of unknown origin, the community is at risk for unfounded abuse and neglect claims.
An AI solution for fall management trusted by over 50% of the largest operators. Now in AL.
As acuity increases in assisted living and falls, fall severity, and fall-related ER visits rise with it, operators need proven, innovative solutions for fall management in AL.
Now, they can have SafelyYou, the AI leader senior living relies on to detect falls with over 99% accuracy and help prevent future falls. SafelyYou reveals silent falls for communities, too, significantly reducing risk and helping to ensure residents get the right care, right away.
With SafelyYou Respond™, our gold standard safety AI, communities can:
Reduce falls by
40%
Reduce fall-related ER visits by
80%
Improve LOS by
4+
months
Increase NOI by
up to
20%
on average annually
By reducing falls with SafelyYou, communities reduce costs and risk, ease the burden on staff, and improve family satisfaction. All while improving care quality, LOS, and NOI.
We’re trusted by over 50% of the largest operators and known for combining world-leading technology with clinical experts who’ve analyzed more falls than anyone else in the world, empowering organizations to meet both their clinical and financial goals.
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