Preventing Falls in Acute Rehab Unit: Safe Patient Discharge is a Priority
Introduction of Concept
Preventing falls of all patients is the first priority of acute rehab unit. Stroke and traumatic brain injury patients are at higher risk due to cognitive impairment and weakness on the affected side after the stroke and fall. Patients forget their limitation of mobility and try to move independently without realizing their weakness after the stroke and ends up in falling and suffer more injury. Patients’ safety is the highest priority. Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal 2009, ‘Fall Reduction Program’ (2014) stated every health care organization’s fall prevention program is expected to include all patient care settings and populations. …show more content…
It is an algorithm for fall risk assessment and interventions, designed for the health care providers to assess the risk of fall among people aged 65 years and older.
Falls in the hospital is the major problem that put patient- safety into a risk. According to Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Alert, “Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall in hospitals, with 30-50 percent resulting injury” (2015). Majority of these falls are crucially preventable. To prevent falls in acute rehab unit, multifaceted fall prevention intervention programs includes fall-risk assessments, bed and wheelchair alarms, patient fall-risk alerts on doors and wrist bands, environmental and equipment modifications, …show more content…
Improving environmental condition, which is home safety evaluation and necessary home modification will be the first and foremost thing to be done prior to discharge patient from acute rehab. Patient and family education will include safe movement of the patient, understanding the risk of orthostatic hypotension, precautions of fall risk medications, like benzodiazepines, diuretics, anti-hypertensives, and anti-psychotic medications, etc. Using the assistive devices properly as recommended by the physical therapists. Proper education on safe movement and fall precautions to patients and their family members will be helpful in preventing falls after discharging the post-stroke patients home. Patient and the family members will demonstrate by following the fall precaution education efficiently before
Introduction of Concept
Preventing falls of all patients is the first priority of acute rehab unit. Stroke and traumatic brain injury patients are at higher risk due to cognitive impairment and weakness on the affected side after the stroke and fall. Patients forget their limitation of mobility and try to move independently without realizing their weakness after the stroke and ends up in falling and suffer more injury. Patients’ safety is the highest priority. Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal 2009, ‘Fall Reduction Program’ (2014) stated every health care organization’s fall prevention program is expected to include all patient care settings and populations. …show more content…
It is an algorithm for fall risk assessment and interventions, designed for the health care providers to assess the risk of fall among people aged 65 years and older.
Falls in the hospital is the major problem that put patient- safety into a risk. According to Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Alert, “Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall in hospitals, with 30-50 percent resulting injury” (2015). Majority of these falls are crucially preventable. To prevent falls in acute rehab unit, multifaceted fall prevention intervention programs includes fall-risk assessments, bed and wheelchair alarms, patient fall-risk alerts on doors and wrist bands, environmental and equipment modifications, …show more content…
Improving environmental condition, which is home safety evaluation and necessary home modification will be the first and foremost thing to be done prior to discharge patient from acute rehab. Patient and family education will include safe movement of the patient, understanding the risk of orthostatic hypotension, precautions of fall risk medications, like benzodiazepines, diuretics, anti-hypertensives, and anti-psychotic medications, etc. Using the assistive devices properly as recommended by the physical therapists. Proper education on safe movement and fall precautions to patients and their family members will be helpful in preventing falls after discharging the post-stroke patients home. Patient and the family members will demonstrate by following the fall precaution education efficiently before