Falls are a significant problem among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Post-fall assessment (PFA) has an important role to play in recording potential risk factors so as to prevent future falls. The objective of the current study was to examine how fall incidents are recorded, the type of information gathered in the reporting forms, and how the information is used. To investigate various PFA tools and procedures for their use, telephone interviews were conducted with a staff member from 52 LTCFs in Nova Scotia, Canada. Interviewee information, facility information, fall reporting methods, and report template data were collected and analyzed. Findings showed that reporting forms mostly required information that was administrative in nature and failed to gather information on the risk factors surrounding the fall incident. Current reporting systems seem to be inadequate for identifying or addressing future fall risk. A more systematic and evidence-based approach is needed to address the issue of falls in LTCFs.
