Falls Prevention Coalition Supports Professional Development, Practice Change

FULTON – The Oswego County Falls Prevention Coalition has been instrumental in bringing awareness to local providers about the Timed Up and Go assessment for seniors.

Timed Up and Go, or “TUG”, is an assessment that can be completed while a senior is attending a routine office visit with their Primary Care Physician.

The individual sits with their back against the chair and on the command “go”, the patient rises from their chair, walks 3 meters, then walks back to their chair to sit back down.

When the patient is seated the time stops. If it takes the patient more than 12 seconds to complete the assessment, they are considered to be at risk of falling.

The TUG assessment is quick, informative, and effective.

If the senior has been identified as a fall risk per the results of the TUG assessment, the physician completing the assessment is able to fill out documentation supplied by the Centers for Disease Control STEADI program and contact a home health organization to facilitate fall prevention home services for that senior.

A member of the Oswego County Falls Prevention Coalition visited local physicians’ offices to provide education about falls prevention, provide information about the CDC’s STEADI toolkit, and set up TUG stations.

The following Oswego County practices have TUG stations available at their sites:

• NOCHSI Offices
• Oswego Family Physicians
• Central Square Prime Care
• Dr. Carmen Dator’s Office
• Dr. Carlos Dator’s Office

Providers interested in the CDC’s STEADI Toolkit may visit the following links:
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/materials.html

Click to access TUG_Test-a.pdf

For additional information on falls prevention, to set up at Timed Up and Go station at your practice or to learn more about the Oswego County Falls Prevention Coalition, please contact: Leanna Cleveland, Rural Health Network Coordinator at 315-592-0827.

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