Fall Reduction Programs

Hi, I've worked at a facility that used their "TABS Professional Monitor with Voice/Reset Button" and found them extremely helpful. We would hang them up to the wall or on the back of chair, one cord would go with the bed to the alarm system and the other port would be for a pad for the alarm. When the patient got up out of the chair our staff assist alarm showed up on the main call system at the nurses station. It would be the same alarm as someone who pulled the nurse assist in the bathroom so it was a more urgent alarm then just a call bell (if that makes sense..). They are really easy to use. Prior to hooking it up to our main alarm/call system, we would just use the speaker alarm and it def wasn't loud enough. Hope that helps!

Sorry, but in my experiences, all those types of early alarm systems do is tell you someone is TRYING to get up. It doesn't actually STOP them for getting up. And even if an employee were to fly to room, the pt could still fall in that brief nano-second. But most importantly, I found it gave families a false sense of security the falls would most definitely be prevented. And that would p*** them off no-end when I had to make that fall-phone call.

There has to be staff available to hear the ringing - not always possible on odd shifts when staffing is at its lowest and are all out on the unit doing something already. Like, you can't leave one climber on the toilet alone to answer the alarm on another climber. And there's not someone who just sits at the desk on those shifts.

IMHO, they all have limited benefit. There's also a maint issue of ample & working pads, cords, batteries, Velcros, loudness audiblles, etc. And then there's the liability when you run out and they've been ordered - like I can't twitch my nose and manufacture one. And then there's documentation...

We done away with all Tabs alarm, state considered it as a form of restraint and encouraged us to try other methods. We use cradle mattresses, fall mats or mattresses next to bed. Bed at floor level. Use of nonskid socks. Use of arm buddies( a side table on wheel chair) and antitippers on wheel chair. With people who continuously fall we have a form it's like 4 pages long, which pretty much trying to figure out why this person is falling. All this has helped us but still it does happen. My clinical supervisor always said tabs alarms doesn't prevent the fall but tells us the resident has fallen.