Frequent Faller

[StormyCD]

I'm at my witts end!!!..I work in LTC. I have a resident that falls frequently, I'm talking several times a DAY! She has Parkinson's and her gait is very jerky with shuffleing. Half of her skull in indented and is very soft. I have talked until I'm blue in the face about safety and calling us to help her to the bath room or any other needs. Yet she continues to refuse to do so. When I ask her why she says "I don't know." I have sent this lady out to the E.R. several times due to falling and hitting her head. She is her own responsible party and refuses to wear any type of restraint, bed alarm, walker or cane. We had a treatment team meeting with her, her family and the facility Social Worker and D.O.N. We explained that there are special dangers to her falling due to her skull being caved in already (which by the way is from years earlier before she developed the Parkinson's symptoms). That if she hit that part of her head on the bedside table or somthing like that she would be severly injured and possibly coma or death. She states she understands all this and still refuses to wear any type of safety device. She can pass any and all Neuro or Psych exams you can throw her way, meaning we can't restrain her in any way unless she agrees to it or we will be violating her rights. I'm out of ideas!! I'm afraid if she does fall and end up in a coma or dead WE will be blamed!..I've asked them to get a signed statement releasing us from any liability, but they have yet to get that done. I'm the night supervisor and I instruct my staff to do a visual check every thirty minutes, and wake her for toileting every two hours to try to prevent her from getting up without assistance. But that is very time consuming and we have 98 other residents to care for too...Does ANYONE have any suggestions? I really think she will fall and kill herself. The last fall (happened at the beginning of my shift) she was sent to the E.R. to have sutures only 3 inches away from the area of the head that is caved in.

[StormyCD]

thanks again for all the support...

;o)