How to Prevent Falls in Hospitals

Hospital falls occur for a variety of reasons including a patient's condition and lack of staff supervision. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, one of the most frequent occurrences reported in hospitals is patient falls. Hospital falls can cause minor injuries, such as bruises, or serious injuries, such as a broken bone. Falls can increase hospital stays and add to healthcare costs. Developing a fall prevention program is important for all types of facilities, including nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and acute care hospitals.

Instructions

• 1

  Develop a falls assessment to determine risk. Develop a questionnaire to be completed during admission to determine what medications a patient is taking that might increase dizziness and what conditions the patient has that might increase the likelihood of falls. Other factors to consider are diagnosis of some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer's. A history of falls should also be considered a risk factor for future falls.

• 2

  Provide patient education. Inform the patient how to prevent falls. Discuss tips, such as wearing non-slip slippers while walking and having staff keep the bedside table within easy reach. Patients should also be encouraged to ask for help with walking or getting out of bed if they are unsteady on their feet.

• 3

  Alert staff to patients who are considered at-risk for falls. Place stickers or signs in the patient's room to identify the patient as a fall risk. Have patients wear a color-coded wrist band to identify them as high risk. Develop polices such as more frequent staff rounds for patients who are at-risk.

• 4

  Use bed alarms. Some hospital beds have alarms that go off and alert staff if a patient gets out of bed. Alarms may be especially helpful with patients who have dementia and don't understand their risk for falling.

• 5

  Put the side rails up on all patient beds. Keep beds at the lowest level and keep wheels locked. Patients attempting to get out of a bed that is elevated or not locked could slip. Educate staff on the importance of returning beds to the lowest level after raising the bed for patient care. Implement a policy for staff to lock the wheels on all beds when the bed is not in motion.

• 6

  Keep call lights within reach. Place patient walking devices, such as a walker, close to the bed for the patient to use when needed. Consider placing a bedside commode near the patient as an alternative to walking to the bathroom.