Which additional tools may complement the HDS?

The choice of home safety checklists as a complementary tool to the Hester Davis Scale (HDS) is particularly relevant in the context of fall risk assessment. Home safety checklists are designed to identify potential hazards within the living environment that could lead to falls, such as loose rugs, cluttered walkways, inadequate lighting, or lack of grab bars in bathrooms.

By utilizing these checklists alongside the HDS, healthcare providers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's fall risk. While the HDS focuses on intrinsic factors like medical history and physical condition, home safety checklists address extrinsic factors that can also significantly contribute to the likelihood of falls. This integrated approach ensures a more holistic assessment and helps to develop targeted interventions to enhance patient safety.

In contrast, while medication inserts, fitness tracking apps, and cognitive assessments can be beneficial in various contexts, they do not specifically address the immediate environmental factors that contribute to fall risks in the same direct manner that home safety checklists do.