Falls just became more than a safety issue — they’re now a spotlight issue.
In a recent memo, CMS announced it is changing how it selects nursing homes for its Special Focus Facility (SFF) program — and for the first time, fall-related citations are being prioritized over staffing issues. That means facilities with repeat deficiencies in fall prevention and serious fall-related harm are now more likely to be flagged for federal oversight, including capped admissions and potential termination from Medicare and Medicaid.
This shift was highlighted in Skilled Nursing News, which reported that CMS views serious falls as “strong predictors of future harm” — and is therefore using fall-related citations as a new front-line signal of poor care.
It’s a clear sign of where the agency’s priorities are headed: Outcomes over ratios. Prevention over paperwork.
CMS’s memo comes on the heels of an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report revealing that a significant percentage of falls in nursing homes go unreported to CMS — despite many resulting in serious injuries. OneStep covered that report in detail on our blog here.
Together, the CMS memo and the OIG findings paint a stark picture:
The federal government is tightening its focus on fall prevention, fall reporting, and fall documentation — and SNFs that don’t adapt will face increasing scrutiny.
Even facilities with adequate staffing levels can be selected for SFF based on patterns of serious falls or poor fall prevention practices. CMS is treating these incidents as a systemic signal, not a one-off event.
Gone are the days when a subjective fall risk checklist or after-the-fact documentation would suffice. CMS and OIG want measurable, proactive systems that prevent harm before it occurs — and can prove it.
Falls are sudden — but not unpredictable.
OneStep gives skilled nursing facilities a way to detect fall risk early, act on it fast, and document it clearly — using just a smartphone.
Place a phone in a resident’s pocket, have them take a short walk, and within seconds, OneStep delivers a validated Fall Risk Score based on real gait data: balance, stride variability, asymmetry, and more.
Every assessment includes:
That means objective proof of proactive care — not just for clinical planning, but for surveys, audits, and compliance defense.
CMS and OIG have both made it clear: Falls are now a high-stakes compliance issue — and only facilities with a proactive, data-backed prevention strategy will be protected.
With OneStep, senior living organizations, including skilled nursing facilities can:
Because when every step tells a story, the time to listen is now.
👉 Schedule a demo today or visit our Senior Living page to learn more.