SafelyYou announced the launch of SafelyYou University to provide free dementia and fall prevention training for senior housing and memory care communities. This is the only educational program that combines fall prevention best practices with the person-centered approach needed to meet the unique needs of adults living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, who have a limited capacity for new learning. In addition, SafelyYou published a new whitepaper, “Reduce Costly Staff Turnover and Increase Occupancy Rates with Memory Care Fall Prevention Training.”
“Since 94% of all fall incidents in memory care are unwitnessed1, developing an effective fall prevention training program has been difficult,” said Shirley Nickels, chief operating officer for SafelyYou. “We are filling this void by leveraging data and insights from more than 10,000 clinical reviews of fall videos — captured by our AI-enabled fall-detection technology — and offering the industry’s first-ever online training tailored to specific profiles of memory care residents.”
SafelyYou University is focused on developing a Fall Champion — an individual designated to lead fall prevention efforts in their community. The training includes a series of short video-based lessons and accompanying quizzes for each of the following sessions:
Fall Champion Training
- Understanding Dementia and Falls
- Designing a Safe Living Space Within Memory Care
- Elevating Your Fall Prevention Program
After completing the sessions, certified Fall Champions will have access to an In-Service Training Toolkit designed to help teach the fall prevention concepts, techniques, principles and tools they learned. Each module includes a 15-minute video, so care staff can see a hands-on demonstration for techniques, such as transferring a resident safely off the ground, placing a mobility aid in the proper position in a resident’s room and cueing methods for wheelchair use. This short, modular type of online training engages staff and reinforces critical techniques, which can be implemented in communities on a daily basis. It also is very flexible, so busy care staff can complete the training anytime and anywhere.
“It is important to note that inadequate education and difficult work environments have contributed to high staff turnover rates and difficulty recruiting new workers,” added Nickels. “Frequent staff turnover has a negative impact on morale and can affect the standard of care for residents, which may lower occupancy rates. By focusing on staff development, direct-care teams will feel empowered with their new knowledge and become more passionate about the role they play. This will reduce staff turnover and, ultimately, help increase occupancy rates.”
To learn more about the free Fall Champion training, visit: SafelyYou University. For more information or to request a free consultation, contact SafelyYou at [email protected].
1SafelyYou data analysis of approximately 8,500 fall videos of on-the-ground detected fall events from 2019-2020 in senior living community bedrooms.