Evaluation of Safety

Question 1

The Safety Assessment of Function and the Environment for Rehabilitation (SAFER)

Answer 1

ID possible safety concerns in the home env and assesses if person is able to respond to concerns
method: interview and observation of person conducted in home, caregiver input if available
128 possible safety concerns addressed
scoring: 3 columns (addressed, N/A, problem) is used to rate each item
% score obtained by multiplying number of problem items by 100
qualitative comments about each item and recommendations to address areas of concern can be provided on SAFER form
population: originally designed for psychogeriatric persons, can be used with home-residing clients of all ages

Question 2

Safety Assessment Scale (SAS)

Answer 2

assess potential risks of people with dementia who live at home
method: observation of person and caregiver interview are conducted in home
-short version of 19 questions used to screen for risks
-long version of 32 questions to make recommendations and plan interventions to reduce safety risks
scoring: rating scale
always, most of the time, occasionally, or never
-results are used to help caregivers diminish safety risks in home
population: older adults with cog impairments living at home
-also been used with community-residing older adults without cog impairments

Question 3

Fall Efficacy Scale (FES)

Answer 3

measures a person’s fear of falling during non-hazardous ADLs (BADLs, meal prep, FM)

method: level of perceived self-efficacy at avoiding falls is measured by asking how confident the person feels about completing the FES activities without falling
scoring: level of concern about falling during activities measured on a 4-point scale
1: not at all concerned
4: very concerned
population: community-dwelling older adults with or without history of fear of falling