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Fall Prevention and Safety. Emily Fontaine, SPT. Overview. The importance of fall prevention Assessing the risk of a patient Fall Precautions Safety with transfers Patient education. Why Fall prevention?. F alls are the leading cause of injury death in people 65 and older - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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E M I LY F O N TA I N E , S P T
FALL PREVENTION AND SAFETY
OVERVIEW
• The importance of fall prevention• Assessing the risk of a patient• Fall Precautions• Safety with transfers• Patient education
WHY FALL PREVENTION?
• Falls are the leading cause of injury death in people 65 and older• Falls make up the largest category of reported
incidents in hospitals• Patients who fall often sustain injuries that lead to
hospitalizations
AN ACTIVITY
• An activity before we begin:• Get a pair of glasses• Walk around with the glasses on• Trying going upstairs
ACTIVITIES CONT.
Think about our patients who have physical weaknesses and balance problems on top of their bad eye sight.• It is incredibly easy to fall!• Their safety is extremely important
HOW TO ASSESS A PATIENT’S RISK
• Morse Fall Scale (MFS) is used with all patients to assess fall risk• Nurses will perform this test, but the entire
medical team will utilize it
MORSE FALL SCALE (MFS)
United States Department of Veteran Affairs
DO THE MATH!
• You are asked to complete the MFS for a new patient, Ted. Ted fell a week ago while in acute care at MGH. He uses a rolling walker because his strength is weak and is a moderate assist for walking. He doesn’t need an IV pole and has normal mental status what would his MFS number be?
50
RISK LEVEL WITH MORSE SCALE
• No risk: 0 – 24 points• Low risk: 25-50 points• High risk: 51 points or greater
• Ted will be a low risk, but very close to high. This is a patient that will need to be monitored very closely during transfers and gait.
FALL PREVENTION STATUS
• Low Fall Risk: 25-50 on MFS• Assess the patient’s coordination and balance before
transferring or mobilizing the patient
• High Fall Risk: 50 or more on MFS• This will be made clear in the patient chart• Use bed alarms, bed rails, and a sitter if necessary so
patient does not get out of bed without assistance• Make sure medications to decrease fall risks are taken on
schedule
TRANSFERRING
• Know the patient’s transfer status (independent, minimal assist etc.) and fall risk• While transferring• Make sure the bed is lowered and locked• Move any possible obstacles that are on the floor• Have the patient wear shoes or treaded socks• Block the patient’s knees if necessary• Transfer patients towards their strong side• Don’t allow patients to lean on moveable equipment
• We will now demonstrate two transfers
AMBULATION
• Know the risk of the patient• Use gait belts and assistive
devices when necessary• Use the Berg Balance Scale• Assesses independence • See Physical Therapy Floor
Manager for more details
• We will now demonstrate how to utilize the gait belt
Berg Balance Test
PATIENT EDUCATION
• Do:• Wear appropriate
footwear• Arrange furniture so
you can walk easily• Install railings on the
stairs and nonslip mat in shower• Use a night light
• Don’t:• Walk and talk at the
same time• Attempt a task
that’s too difficult that will cause you to get tired while doing it• Walk in the dark
QUESTIONS?
WORKS CITED
1. Care Company Website. http://dev.thecarecompany.biz/. Accessed October 20, 2012.
2. “Fall Prevention.” In Total Home Health. Accessed October 8, 2012, from http://www.totalhomehealthinc.com/fall-prevention.htm.
3. “Fall Prevention in Hospitals.” Premier. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from https://www.premierinc.com/safety/topics/falls.
4. Pelczarski and Wallace. (October 15, 2009). “Hospitals Collaborate to Prevent Falls.” In Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare (PSQH). Accessed October 8, 2012, from http://www.psqh.com/novemberdecember-2008/91-november-december-2008/277-hospitals-collaborate-to-prevent-falls.html.
5. “VA National Center for Patient Safety.” United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed October 8, 2012, from http://www.patientsafety.gov/CogAids/FallPrevention/index.html#page=page-1