In many Vancouver facilities, residents are supported through structured routines—medication schedules, mobility assistance, alarms, and care-plan checklists. When a fall occurs during an ordinary shift, families are often told it was sudden or unavoidable.
Our experience is that the most important question usually isn’t “Did a fall happen?” It’s:
- What risk factors were documented before the incident?
- Were those risks addressed through the resident’s plan of care?
- Did staff follow the plan consistently during the shift?
- Was the environment safe and maintained?
That’s why we focus early on the period leading up to the fall, not only the moment the resident hit the floor.


