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Screen 1 of 9Introduction
Module 1 · Patient Safety

Understanding Your Risk

Falls in hospital are different from falls at home. Understanding why helps you take the right steps to stay safe.

⚠️
Falls are the most common adverse event in hospitals
But most are preventable. Knowing your risk is the first step.

What you will learn

🏥
Why Hospital Is Different
Why falling in hospital is not like falling at home
🤒
How Illness Changes Your Risk
Why being unwell affects your balance
🙅
The "I'm Not a Fall Risk" Myth
Why everyone in hospital is at risk
📋
Know Your Own Risk Factors
A simple self-check — not a diagnosis
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Screen 2 of 9Why Hospital Is Different
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Topic 1 of 4
Why Hospital Is Different
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At home, your body knows the environment
At home your brain knows every step. In hospital, everything is new — and that takes effort.
🗺️
Unfamiliar surroundings
New rooms, new layouts, unfamiliar bathrooms. Your brain cannot rely on habit — every movement requires more attention.
🛏️
Different equipment
Adjustable beds, IV stands, call cords, and bed rails are all new obstacles. They can catch clothing or block pathways you do not expect.
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Different lighting
Wards are often dimly lit at night. Your eyes take longer to adjust than at home, especially after sleep.
🏃
Less space to move
Hospital rooms are smaller than most homes. There is less room to catch yourself or steady your balance if you stumble.
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Even confident people fall in hospital
The environment itself creates risks that do not exist at home.
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Screen 3 of 9How Illness Changes Your Risk
🤒
Topic 2 of 4
How Illness Changes Your Risk
⚠️
Being unwell changes how your body moves
Illness affects your strength and balance — often without you noticing.
😴
Fatigue
Illness and poor sleep reduce your reaction time and muscle strength. You may feel weaker than expected when you stand.
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Medications
Many hospital medications affect balance, blood pressure, and alertness — especially in combinations. See Module 3 for detail.
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Less food and fluids
Not eating or drinking enough reduces blood pressure and can cause dizziness on standing — even if you feel well enough to walk.
🩹
Pain and discomfort
Pain changes how you move. You may favour one side, take shorter steps, or avoid putting weight where it hurts — all of which affect balance.
💡
Your risk changes day to day
A good morning does not mean a safe afternoon. A new medication or broken sleep can change things quickly.
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Screen 4 of 9The "I'm Not a Fall Risk" Myth
🙅
Topic 3 of 4
The "I'm Not a Fall Risk" Myth
⚠️
Confidence is one of the biggest risk factors
Research consistently shows that patients who believe they are not a fall risk are among the most likely to fall. Confidence leads to less caution — and less caution leads to falls.
  1. 1
    You are not at home
    Your usual level of ability was built around your home environment. Hospital is different in ways that affect everyone.
  2. 2
    Your body is not at its best
    You are in hospital because something is wrong. Illness, surgery, and medications all reduce your normal capacity.
  3. 3
    Your risk is not fixed
    It changes with every medication, every procedure, every night of broken sleep. What was safe yesterday may not be safe today.
  4. 4
    Asking for help is not weakness
    It is the correct response to a changed situation. Every patient — regardless of age or fitness — benefits from extra caution in hospital.
✅
Awareness is protection
Simply knowing that your risk is higher than usual — and acting on that knowledge — significantly reduces your chance of falling.
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Screen 5 of 9Know Your Own Risk Factors
📋
Topic 4 of 4
Know Your Own Risk Factors
🔑
The more boxes you tick, the higher your risk
Not a medical assessment — just a prompt to think about your own situation.
🤸
Had a fall in the past year?
A previous fall is one of the strongest predictors of a future fall — in hospital or at home.
💊
Taking four or more medications?
The more medications you take, the higher the chance of interactions that affect balance or blood pressure.
👓
Vision or hearing changes?
Reduced vision or hearing — with or without aids — increases fall risk significantly. See Module 5 for detail.
🚶
Feeling unsteady on your feet?
Even mild unsteadiness is a signal worth taking seriously. Tell your nurse — a physio assessment may help.
🌙
Getting up at night?
Night-time bathroom trips are when most hospital falls happen. Extra care — and the call button — are essential.
🧠
Feeling confused or disoriented?
Confusion increases fall risk significantly. If you or a family member notices this, tell your nurse straight away.
💬
Talk to your nurse about your risk
Share what you have noticed. Your nurse can tailor your care plan to match your specific risks.
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Screen 6 of 9True or False?

True or False?

Common beliefs — and what the evidence says.

✗ False
""I have never fallen before, so I am not a fall risk.""
✓ True
Hospital changes everything — unfamiliar environment, illness, and medications create risk that does not exist at home. No previous falls does not mean low risk in hospital.
✗ False
""I am young and fit — this does not apply to me.""
✓ True
Falls happen to patients of all ages in hospital. Illness, surgery, and medications affect everyone's balance and strength — regardless of fitness level before admission.
✗ False
""I feel fine right now, so I am safe to get up alone.""
✓ True
How you feel and how steady you actually are can be very different in hospital. Medications and illness can impair balance without any obvious sensation of unsteadiness.
✗ False
""Asking for help means I am not coping.""
✓ True
Asking for help is the correct response to being in an unfamiliar environment while unwell. It is a sign of good judgement — not a sign of weakness.
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Screen 7 of 9Your Actions
Your Safety Habits
Tick each one as you commit to it
✓
Accept that my risk is higher in hospital than at home
Even if I feel well and capable.
✓
Tell my nurse if I feel unsteady, dizzy, or confused
Even if it feels minor or temporary.
✓
Ask for help before I get up — especially at night
Press my call button first.
✓
Think about my personal risk factors
Previous falls, medications, vision, unsteadiness.
✓
Remember my risk changes day to day
A safe morning does not mean a safe afternoon.
0 of 5 ticked
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Screen 8 of 9Quick Quiz
🧠
Quick Quiz
5 questions — tap the best answer
Question 1 of 5Score: 0
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Screen 9 of 9Complete
🏅
Module 1 Complete!

You now understand why hospital increases your fall risk, how illness and medications affect your balance, and why asking for help is always the right choice.

4
Topics
0
Habits ticked
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Quiz score

This module supports your clinical care. Always speak with your nurse or doctor if you have concerns.

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