Much of nursing home safety revolves around prevention. Creating safe environments, using bed rails properly, monitoring medications, using lifts, and more are all part of nursing home safety policy. And there’s nothing wrong with these rules. In fact, many go a long way to keep residents from experiencing potentially fatal falls and other injuries which can degrade their health and quality of life. Fall prevention is a major focus as part of nursing home safety, and for good reason. But a recent opinion piece in the California Health Report raised an important question: what if we focused on mobility? Looking at the other side of the fall prevention argument, the author wondered if tracking mobility could be vital to ensuring nursing home safety.
Tracking Falls
As pointed out in the opinion piece written by Neha Sabharwal, resident falls are tracked. Not only that, but they are a big part of reporting, surveys, and safety policies. Consistently, falls get a lot of attention. Of course, it is important to know the frequency of falls and take measures to prevent them. However, Sabharwal points out that one method of prevention is routinely ignored: mobility.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “1.3 million residents in nursing facilities fall” every year. They even created a fall prevention program and toolkit. Even the Office of Inspector General releases official reports, breaking down the statistics by privately-owned facilities, severity of the fall, and other factors.
A lot of time is, rightfully so, dedicated to this topic. But Sabharwal knows there might be another angle.
Mobility for Nursing Home Residents
“Despite its importance, mobility remains largely invisible within the oversight systems that govern long-term care.” – Neha Sabharwal, Director of rehabilitation at Vintage Faire Nursing and Rehabilitation
Nursing home staff are already stretched to the limit, but what if residents were rehabilitated with mobility at the focus? This could, potentially, decrease the likelihood and risk of falls over all, freeing up some resources and granting residents a greater sense of independence.
The potential ripple effect is very appealing to anyone in the industry; more mobility means more independence, longevity, fewer falls, and potentially better mental health and slightly less demand on staff.
However, mobility does not start in the nursing facility. Instead, it must start with programs that encourage senior citizens to remain active and more aggressive rehabilitation services after surgeries and minor fall incidents.
“Simple system-level adjustments could make mobility visible again. The state could encourage facilities to track daily walking distance or frequency of assisted ambulation. Quality dashboards could include functional mobility indicators alongside safety measures. Regulators could examine whether residents maintain or improve mobility during their stay.
These steps would not eliminate falls, nor should we expect that result. Older adults living with complex medical conditions will always face some degree of risk. But recognizing mobility as a meaningful outcome would shift the conversation from avoiding harm alone to also supporting recovery and independence.”
Suggestions for Improving Mobility
Though fall will never completely be eradicated, there are a few things individuals and families can do to encourage mobility and strength to remove the risk of severe falls.
- Start with exercise. Local gyms often participate with the Silver Sneakers program through Medicare, but counties, like Los Angeles, also have extensive programs through their parks and recreation departments. Or join a walking group, go to the park for tennis, pickleball, pick-up basketball games, or Tai Chi. The point is to keep moving!
- Opt for Rehab. If you have suffered a fall or other injury, or needed surgery, opt for any and all rehabilitation services you have access to and make the most of them. Trained rehabilitation specialists can give you valuable exercises, advice, and tricks to regaining and maintaining strength.
- Understand your medications. Some medications have side effects that include dizziness, lightheadedness, or other problems that can lead to balance issues and falls. Understanding that this is a possibility can go a long way to ensuring you are careful when needed and take the proper precautions to avoid falls.
- Family watchfulness. Families can not only encourage older family members to stay active, but they can be the watchful eye in new environments like nursing facilities. They are able to determine how nursing homes handle mobility and fall risks in their facility. Family can also be a part of your treatment plan and be fantastic advocates for mobility as part of daily routines.
Tracking Mobility
Sabharwal suggests that the next stage of fall prevention is turning attention to mobility. How can we be surprised by the frequency of falls in nursing homes, if we are complacent with the lack of attention to one vital thing that keeps seniors moving? Mobility might just be a secret solution and there are some policies, both at the legislative level and within rahabs and nursing facilities, that could completely transform the way we look at falls.
Read more about the role of surveyors in monitoring nursing home policy and quality, and better understand falls and fractures among nursing home residents.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, call Gharibian Law today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
SOURCE: https://www.calhealthreport.org/2026/07/06/opinion-california-measures-falls-in-nursing-homes-it-still-doesnt-measure-whether-residents-can-walk/
Tracking Mobility Vital to Nursing Home Safety
Much of nursing home safety revolves around prevention. Creating safe environments, using bed rails properly, monitoring medications, using lifts, and more are all part of nursing home safety policy. And there’s nothing wrong with these rules. In fact, many go a long way to keep residents from experiencing potentially fatal falls and other injuries which can degrade their health and quality of life. Fall prevention is a major focus as part of nursing home safety, and for good reason. But a recent opinion piece in the California Health Report raised an important question: what if we focused on mobility? Looking at the other side of the fall prevention argument, the author wondered if tracking mobility could be vital to ensuring nursing home safety.
Tracking Falls
As pointed out in the opinion piece written by Neha Sabharwal, resident falls are tracked. Not only that, but they are a big part of reporting, surveys, and safety policies. Consistently, falls get a lot of attention. Of course, it is important to know the frequency of falls and take measures to prevent them. However, Sabharwal points out that one method of prevention is routinely ignored: mobility.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “1.3 million residents in nursing facilities fall” every year. They even created a fall prevention program and toolkit. Even the Office of Inspector General releases official reports, breaking down the statistics by privately-owned facilities, severity of the fall, and other factors.
A lot of time is, rightfully so, dedicated to this topic. But Sabharwal knows there might be another angle.
Mobility for Nursing Home Residents
“Despite its importance, mobility remains largely invisible within the oversight systems that govern long-term care.” – Neha Sabharwal, Director of rehabilitation at Vintage Faire Nursing and Rehabilitation
Nursing home staff are already stretched to the limit, but what if residents were rehabilitated with mobility at the focus? This could, potentially, decrease the likelihood and risk of falls over all, freeing up some resources and granting residents a greater sense of independence.
The potential ripple effect is very appealing to anyone in the industry; more mobility means more independence, longevity, fewer falls, and potentially better mental health and slightly less demand on staff.
However, mobility does not start in the nursing facility. Instead, it must start with programs that encourage senior citizens to remain active and more aggressive rehabilitation services after surgeries and minor fall incidents.
“Simple system-level adjustments could make mobility visible again. The state could encourage facilities to track daily walking distance or frequency of assisted ambulation. Quality dashboards could include functional mobility indicators alongside safety measures. Regulators could examine whether residents maintain or improve mobility during their stay.
These steps would not eliminate falls, nor should we expect that result. Older adults living with complex medical conditions will always face some degree of risk. But recognizing mobility as a meaningful outcome would shift the conversation from avoiding harm alone to also supporting recovery and independence.”
Suggestions for Improving Mobility
Though fall will never completely be eradicated, there are a few things individuals and families can do to encourage mobility and strength to remove the risk of severe falls.
Tracking Mobility
Sabharwal suggests that the next stage of fall prevention is turning attention to mobility. How can we be surprised by the frequency of falls in nursing homes, if we are complacent with the lack of attention to one vital thing that keeps seniors moving? Mobility might just be a secret solution and there are some policies, both at the legislative level and within rahabs and nursing facilities, that could completely transform the way we look at falls.
Read more about the role of surveyors in monitoring nursing home policy and quality, and better understand falls and fractures among nursing home residents.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, call Gharibian Law today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
SOURCE: https://www.calhealthreport.org/2026/07/06/opinion-california-measures-falls-in-nursing-homes-it-still-doesnt-measure-whether-residents-can-walk/