Today at our staff meeting we were informed that the "new trend" in nursing homes is going towards getting rid of all bed & chair alarms for those who are at risk for a fall.
The reasoning behind it is that it wakes other residents during the night and during the day they have the right to be free from restriction. We as "care providers" which includes not only CNA's but nurses and housekeeping, and EVERYONE employed by the facility will be responsible for keeping a constant eye on those residents at risk of falling.
Our facility already requires all employees to respond to a chair/bed alarm. But if the resident is in their own room/in bed, how are we to have a constant eye on them because they no longer have an alarm? What of the dining room where there are 50 residents and 5 staff all of whom are feeding at least one resident?
I see alot more broken hips and black eyes in the future for these residents!
Yup, our new plan is to go around with the nurse at bedcheck and just pick everyone up off the floor and tuck them back into bed right before nightshift comes. Also considering buying everyone those socks with little jingle bells on them, you know...as Christmas gifts...
Red Kryptonite
2,212 Posts
Instead, she'll find people laying on the floor who fell an hour ago. SMH.