St. Croix Hospice recently rolled out a new specialty care program intended to reduce fall risk among hospice patients. The company’s “Navigate: Falls Prevention” initiative began in response to growing public health concerns about fall-related injuries among older adults.
The program aims to reduce fall risk through proactive patient assessments beginning at admission to hospice. Certified physical and occupational therapists assess patient mobility and living conditions to identify areas of concern. Program staff help to educate patients and caregivers about fall prevention, then assist in setting up the patient’s living area to maximize safety.
Through the program, patients and their families additionally have 24/7 access to a nurse-triage hotline.
“Adding this new piece truly improves the overall care plan for patients,” said Katie Fritche, manager of clinical services and leader of the St. Croix Hospice North Branch team. “The reduction in falls reduces the likelihood of ER visits or hospital stays and improves patients’ overall quality of life. The program provides additional support and peace of mind for family and facility caregivers. Facilities love it too, because it offers more education for their staff.”
St. Croix Hospice is backed by private equity firm H.I.G. Capital. The hospice’s more than 1,000 employees care for close to 3,000 patients and their families across the Midwest. St. Croix operates from nearly 60 locations in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and recently expanded into the South Dakota market.
The company has been tracking fall risks across all of its patient populations since 2013 and expects the new initiative to “raise the bar of hospice care” across the communities St. Croix serves, according to a recent announcement.
Among adults 65 and older, one in four fall each year, resulting in more than 32,000 deaths and roughly 3 million emergency department visits, according to a 2020 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This makes falls “a public health concern, particularly among the aging population,” the CDC indicated.
This consideration was among the main drivers of St. Croix’s development of its new prevention effort.
The company piloted the fall program last year in North Branch, Minnesota, integrating automatic enrollment of patients in homes, assisted living or skilled nursing facilities into the care planning process. The pilot achieved a 25% reduction of falls during a three-month timeframe, according to Fritche.
Fall injuries can increase medical costs, hasten death and adversely impact quality of life for seniors. Serious injuries occur in one out of every five falls, including 95% of hip fractures experienced by older adults, the CDC reported.
Enhancing fall prevention efforts is consistent with hospice providers’ mission to improve patients’ quality of life, according to Ashley Arnold, vice president of clinical services for St. Croix Hospice.
“This program is just one more way that St. Croix Hospice goes beyond basic traditional hospice care to identify innovative solutions to some of the most common issues that impact patients and their caregivers,” said Arnold in the announcement. “Falls are a concern for anyone on hospice, so we are excited to bring this prevention program to our patients as another way to provide them with expert care.”
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