AMC Takes Active Approach to Falls Management

SARANAC LAKE - A concerted effort of tying together awareness and education among staff, family and patients at Adirondack Medical Center has lowered the number of inpatient falls to less than half the national average.

At any health care facility, falls are an ongoing challenge in an environment where patients are either in an unfamiliar environment, recovering from a surgical procedure or on medications for pain management.  The opportunity for improvement is to provide education, implement added resources, and to be able to manage a patient fall to avoid injury or trauma that can result in an extended hospital stay.

In June 2008, an interdisciplinary team consisting of nursing staff, medical imaging, physical therapy, and patient education developed policies and procedures to gather greater detail about what could have been done to better manage and minimize the risks that resulted in a fall.

Every patient admitted to the hospital is evaluated for fall risk, and is rated as a low, medium or high risk.  Regardless of how a patient is evaluated, each and every one is educated on fall management.  Likewise, every patient is re-evaluated every 12 hours to determine if there is a change in the status of their fall risk.

If a patient is determined to be a high fall risk, a laminated cut-out of an autumn leaf is placed on the entrance to the room as well as above the headboard of the bed so staff know to take precautions with the patient.  This also alerts family and friends who are visiting to be aware as well.  Other precautions include placing the patient in a room close to the nurse's station, pressure sensitive alarms in the bed to alert staff the patient may be attempting to rise, and hip protectors.  Hip protectors are padded garments intended to shield one of the main areas of the patient's body that is prone to injury from a fall.

Equally important is the need to make sure all AMC staff beyond the nursing department who are involved in patient care, such as physical rehabilitation and medical imaging, are properly educated on the fall management initiatives.  A special education day was held in March for patient care staff to learn about the new policies and procedures, new safety devices, and the best practices for assisting a patient depending on their fall risk.  A similar education day is expected to be held soon to maintain awareness among staff.

The Falls Management Committee is chaired by Patti McGrath, Medical Unit, and consists of a multi-disciplinary team of AMC Staff.  Committee members include Laura Gokey, Patient Care Coordinator for Renal and Surgical Floors; Shawn Larabie, Patient Care Coordinator for Critical Care; Dori Gilman, Nursing Services Informatics Clinician; Sue Bailey, Surgical Unit; Mim Tracy, Infection Control & Risk Management; Olga Mills, Rehabilitation; David Mader, Patient Care Coordinator for Medical Floor; Linda Savarie, Patient Education Coordinator, and Sheila Young, Medical Imaging.

For more information about falls management education, contact Linda Savarie at 897-2274 or lsavarie@amcCares.org.

CAPTION: Registered Nurse Debby Glans explains to Linda Baker-Wolfe how the laminated cut-outs of autumn leaves posted above the patient's bed and on room entrance help to raise awareness about fall risks. 
A concerted educational effort among staff, patients and their families at Adirondack Medical Center has contributed to a significant drop patient falls, which can lead to serious injury and extended hospital stays.

Policies & Terms - Laboratory Test Collection Information - Sitemap

	AMC is accredited by the Joint Commission. Click here to view the Joint Commission Public Notice.
	AMC is accredited by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program.
	Adirondack Medical Center's Bariatric Program and Dr. Michael Hill have been designated as a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.