Falls!!!!Falls!!!!!Falls!!!!!!

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State in and they sited us for not doing an in-service when a resident falls. We do a yearly in-service but not after every fall. They highly sugguest we start doing this. Does anyone else do this

Just a recent observation regarding falls in my own facility. I've been the DON of a small rural 42 bed facility for about 6 months now. When I started they had approx 15 personal alarms and averaging about 12-15 falls a month. The admin who hired me asked in the beginning to see what I could do about drastically reducing alarms. Mid April I got rid of the very last alarm and we are officially a restraint/alarm free facility. I added just a few new interventions where merited, but really not much.

The staff and families have made multiple comments over how quiet it is in our building now. "Peaceful and calm". Here's the amazing part....in March we had 6 falls and in April we have ONE fall. I really believe it has nothing to do with a few of the interventions that I initially sprinkled in at the beginning and lots more to do with the "Peaceful/Calm" environment we've created.

Bonus: The staff thought the "new DON" had to be crazy at the announcement that we would be an alarm free facility within 6 months. Now they think the "new DON" is a miracle worker. :)

It seems like everyone and the staff are on the same page and as a result patient safety has improved significantly. Great work!

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Just a recent observation regarding falls in my own facility. I've been the DON of a small rural 42 bed facility for about 6 months now. When I started they had approx 15 personal alarms and averaging about 12-15 falls a month. The admin who hired me asked in the beginning to see what I could do about drastically reducing alarms. Mid April I got rid of the very last alarm and we are officially a restraint/alarm free facility. I added just a few new interventions where merited, but really not much.

We were soooooooo skeptical when they decided to do away with alarms in my facility several years ago. But it is really much more pleasant, and I don't think falls have increased.

It gets a little frustrating sometimes with residents who probably could benefit from an alarm. But alarm creep happens, and suddenly everyone has an alarm, they're going off constantly, and no one is paying any attention to them.

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Maybe its the patient perception of feeling safe around staff can play a factor with previous history of over promising and under delivering.

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