“..many falls are preventable in the hospital setting.”

On the 17th March 2017, Joint Commission International (JCI) released some advice on the prevention of falls in inpatient and outpatient settings.

It warns that patient falls continue to be a top adverse event in hospital settings. These falls are resulting in injury and even death. JCI explain that although fall risk is more common among elderly and frail patients, any patient can be at risk. Also, it advises that the patient’s location and physical environment should be considered as they may help in preventing falls.

The organisation explains that despite risks, many falls are preventable in the hospital setting. An important element to preventing falls is implementing appropriate measures and interventions. It highlights that the criteria and stats which identify patients at risk of a fall and any interventions applied must be documented in the patient’s medical record. This can facilitate co-ordination of care among their healthcare practitioners.

JCI also explains that fall risk screening often involves a tool, which may include a minimal number of yes/no questions that get assigned a numerical score based on the patient’s answers. If screening indicates a fall risk, a more in-depth assessment is needed to further evaluate the extent of the risk so that interventions can be implemented as necessary.

Earlier this year, the Royal College of Physicians release the ‘ Falls Prevention in Hospital: a Guide for Patients, their Families and Carers ’. This guide was produced by the Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme (FFFAP). This guide was designed to help prevent serious injury to patients and unnecessary cost to the NHS caused by older people tripping or falling when they are in hospital.

For information on SensorCares bed and chair falls prevention systems, click here or, contact us today on 0845 863 9570.