Successful Model: Aging, Community/Public Health,
Training
Project: Right Side Up: Interprofessional Falls Prevention and Education Team
Geographic Area: Otter Tail County
Background: Right Side Up grew out of a nursing student’s project that looked at the
number of falls occurring in Otter Tail County.
Each year one in three adults over the age of 65 falls and half fall again. Falls are the
leading cause of injury-related mortality in those 75 or older. Primary risk factors for falls
include medical conditions, multiple medications, environmental hazards, and age-related
changes in vision and balance.
Description: Right Side Up includes medical, pharmacy and physical therapy students
on clinical rotations at Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls. In addition to well over
30 students, Right Side Up includes a nurse practitioner, a physical therapist, two nurses
and three pharmacists. The entire Right Side Up team works together to assess the risk of
elderly community members falling and makes recommendations to decrease fall risk.
When a family member or health care provider refers an individual with a history of falls
or the potential to fall, Right Side Up arranges a home visit. During a home visit:
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A public health nurse or home health nurse (with a nursing student when
available) conducts a nursing and environmental assessment
A pharmacy student reviews all prescription and over the counter medications
found in the home
A medical student reviews the individual’s clinical record and laboratory tests and
interviews the client about health conditions
A medical student (and a physical therapy student when available) conducts a
balance and strength assessment.
Preventing a fall can be as simple as moving rugs, installing safety bars, improving
nutrition and strength, consulting with a physical or occupational therapist or adjusting
medication to minimize light-headedness, dizziness or lethargy. Encouraging people to be
active by walking around their home for 10 minutes three times a day and making simple
changes in their home can help.
With assistance from a nurse, the students present recommendations to reduce the risk of
falls to the entire team during a monthly face-to-face meeting. After a thorough
discussion, written recommendations are sent to the individual who was assessed and the
primary care physician.
Outcomes: The Team is an example of collaboration across disciplines. This team
approach prevents fall and provides insight into identifying gaps in preventing falls as
well as opportunities for education and services. This team’s efforts at reducing falls are
improving the quality of life for seniors.
Students gain knowledge and skills in geriatric care. This early experience with an
interprofessional approach to patient care also helps the students gain confidence in their
abilities.
The local community benefits from being able to recruit professionals from this pool of
students.
Challenges: Coordinating schedules with many individuals for the home visits and
follow-up evaluations.
Partners:  Central Minnesota Area Health Education Center
 Lake Region Healthcare
 Minnesota Board on Aging- Area Agencies on Aging
 Minnesota Department of Health Chronic Disease Division
 Otter Tail County Health Aging Collaborative
 Otter Tail County Public Health Department
 University of Minnesota Center on Aging
 University of Minnesota Extension Service
 University of Minnesota Geriatric Education Center
 University of Minnesota Health and Nutrition Program.
Funding from the Medical Education and Research Costs and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Rural Health and Safety Education Grant.
Plans for the Future: In the hopes that their work can be helpful to other communities
and counties in Minnesota and in other states, the IPE Falls Team is sharing their
successes, challenges and outcomes at statewide and national conferences.
For more information, contact: Laurissa Stigen, director of the Central Minnesota Area
Health Education Center at 218-736-1601 or [email protected].
The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Models’ website is
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/models/index.html.