of 2019 to make approved existing facilities barrier-free. Other factors can also present hazards for the elderly. For example, according to the findings of Commission 2, the hoses of a central vacuum cleaner in a retirement and nursing home in Salzburg represent a major risk for falls. In other Laender, there have also been observations regarding avoidable tripping hazards with regard to slippery floor coverings, insufficient lighting in hallways, stairway steps and ramps that are too steep, missing handrails, etc. Tripping hazards The NPM regularly emphasises the importance of structural measures to prevent falls to support the autonomy and quality of life of residents. At the same time, such measures would also relieve staff, because in a barrier-free environment the likelihood of injuries or necessary assistance when entering or leaving rooms can be reduced. Fewer falls also protect the health care system from follow-up costs in connection with necessary medical treatments. It is therefore an important quality characteristic of an institution if it minimises falls and their consequences, e.g. increased dependence, permanent disability or the fear of falling, for the well-being of residents by way of suitable measures. In nursing homes, the reaction to the danger of falls is sometimes not additional support or appropriate actions, but measures that restrict freedom, which are sometimes demanded by relatives, who do not have any specialised care experience, once falls have occurred. Study results indicate that residents are not kept safe from falling by means of measures that restrict freedom; rather this initiates an insidious cycle. Due to the forced immobilisation, the body loses more and more muscle strength and balance, which ultimately increases the danger of falling even further. Restriction of freedom increases the danger of falling Regarding the question of how falls can effectively be prevented, relevant studies and evidence-based guidelines from Germany, which the commissions repeatedly refer to in their reports to the AOB, provide a relatively uniform picture. Guidelines regarding prevention of falls According to them, effective prevention of falls presumes that each resident’s risk of falling is comprehensively and systematically ascertained and that personal risk factors, such as external or environment-related factors, are taken into consideration. As the risk of falling can change during the resident’s stay, it must be ascertained on a regular basis, at least whenever the state of a person’s health or their medication changes. Based on the collected data, individual measures for the prevention of falls should be planned – with the involvement of the persons concerned – and their suitability should be examined on an ongoing basis. Systematic identification of risks Many studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions with regard to the prevention of falls. One can roughly differentiate 36