Preventing Patient Falls More than 300,000 falls per year occurs in U.S, hospitals and this is of patient's that are already admitted. About half of those falls result in minor injury, and about one quarter are more serious, and include severe sprains or broken bones. On average a fall injury adds 6 days to a hospital stay, which is one reason insurance companies push for fall assessments upon admittance. Why Patients Fall Weakness- if a patient is hospitalized, even for a bad case of the flu, it can promote weakness. When a patient is weak, they may not realize how weak until it's too late. When they stand to go to the restroom, they could be attempting to move rather quickly, and may not think about how weak they are. In many cases, their legs simply cave, resulting in a fall. This type of fall is more likely to have injuries because a fall from weakness often occurs near the bed, where there is equipment that could cause a head injury. Dizziness- when a patient is dizzy a fall could happen anywhere, they should call for assistance anytime they stand. Falls from dizziness are more likely to occur in the restroom within the patient's room. Disorientation- this can be a state of confusion from medications, or it can be from the patient's medical condition. They may forget an injury that requires them to need assistance, or they may forget where they are entirely and attempt to leave. If a patient is fearful, they are more likely to experience a fall. Related: Nursing in Law Enforcement A Result of Falls Approximately 8,000 head injuries occur each year as a result of a patient fall within a hospital. More than 5,000 broken bones, and more than 11,000 sprains or injuries that require treatment. Patients that suffer a fall will often be hesitant about standing or walking again, which can slow down recovery times. Tips to Provide Patients to Reduce Falls Use the call button for help in getting out of bed if there is any question of stability. If uncertain, use the call, button to be on the safe side. There is also a call button inside the restroom, and it's intended to be used when assistance is needed.
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If diuretics are being administered, consider a bedside commode to lessen the chances of falls when walking several feet away from the bed. If taking medications that can cause dizziness, ask for help, even if things seem ok. Always wear hospital socks, or socks with nonskid soles. If glasses are normally worn, be sure to wear them when walking within the hospital room or halls Preventing Patient Falls Not every fall can be prevented, however, following some safety guidelines can cut back significantly the number of patient falls that occur. Encourage patients to call for help when getting out of bed. They may have to wait a few minutes, but assure them help is on the way. Be sure the patient has a fall dish identification on their arm at all times Use bed alarms, which will sound if the patient attempts to get, out of bed. This is especially good for patients that may have trouble organizing their thoughts. Do routine bed rounds, at night when patients are sleeping just a peak in the room to ensure no falls have occurred. Encourage patients to use mobility aids for walking. Related: Nursing Specialist in High Demand Today Most falls in hospitals are preventable. Precautions, preparations and planning can help reduce these accidents from happening. If the hospital does not provide one, make a fall checklist to make sure each precaution has been done on a high-risk patient. Try to respond when called to a patient’s room. If you cannot make it for some time, ask for a coworker to assist and cover for you until you can make it to the patient's room. Patients may have no idea that they are a fall risk. Be sure to tell them, and explain why, whether it's the medication, or low blood pressure. They are more likely to adhere to your request if they understand why they are a fall risk. Inform family members and frequent visitors as well, that the patient should call for assistance when getting out of bed. Some well-meaning visitor may offer the patient assistance, and they both end up falling. A few precautions can prevent many falls and injuries Related: List of nursing organizations Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter