Incidience of falls .

Specialties Geriatric

Published

The incidience of falls and the severity of complications in older people rises steadily with age and with increased physical disability and some times with aggressive patient and very restlessness required nursing interventions to restraint thoses patient by side rails or use of cot sides and use bandages as restraint .*My question is does the nurse should be consulting the doctors or telling the patient relatives the best thing to do is apply cot sides .Next there is any written guide lines relating to the assessment of patient s` potential to fall .

THANKS .

:chuckle :zzzzz

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Hi sweetnurse,

It seems to me that you may be a student nurse from the questions you are asking, many at the same time. It also sounds as hough you are doing an ICU rotation. If I am wrong, I will apologize, but, if I am right I think it only fair to yourself and your learning process to do some research and find the answers on your own. I feel that by coming here and getting answers to your questions you may be shorting yourself some knowledge.

Yes, coming here and asking the questions will get you the right answers, but will you learn anything at all from the process?

And if I am wrong about you being a student I will apologize up front. It just seems that more and more theses boards are a way for many of our up and coming nurses to take the easy way out.

bob

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I can't even figure out what sweetnurse is trying to say!

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

My take is: should we ask for siderails or restraints?

I believe Sweetnurse11 's primary language is not english. Good questions though. SN if you are a student, welcome, but we don't do homework here.

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2 nd career RN :Hi

You should not say what ever you have post and copy it 5 times in the board , you don't know who I am and you can't make judgment about me from my question . I'm Registered Nurse working in ICU since one year , I'm not student nurse dewing research or rotation in ICU , I have more interesting in reading and learning more about nursing care and practices in the would and how the nurse can give the best quality patient care in correct manner to save both nurse and patient .I have post my question because I thought other nurse will get benefit from it even if I knew the answer , but that doesn't mean dewing homework by posting my question ,I think if you know the answer and you are interesting to chairing us your opinion regarding that topic will be better instead of writhing report about me...who I am ?.Now you are wasted your time and my times also to writhe for you post reply ,better to keep the place for writhing some thing that others can get benefit from it . * I don't know if my question is too difficult , So no body could answer it .

:chuckle

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Going back to the original question - that being protecting an elderly person from falls. Really, there are no hard and fast rules, you have to take into account what is going on with that resident. There is one case where an elderly lady leans too far in her wheelchair to get something that she dropped. In this instance, patient education would be reasonable. There is another case where a person is confused and has impaired safety awareness. In our facility, physical restraints are a last option. Any type of enabler or restraint requires involving both the family and the physician. Side rails could be considered a restraint, depending on the resident. We are required to evaluate side rails on our residents at least quarterly and with each change in status. I hope this helps! :)

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Thank You Coachcathy.......... it helps alot .

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Hi , Sweetnurse11, as you pointed out, the decision to restrain a patient is very complex. I work in Long term care and we have many regulations that govern restraints. I understand this is being extended to acute care. In LTC, there are a lot of assessment tools that are available. I wouldn't recommend using bandages as restraints. Safety issue. Thanks for the Question.

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Hi

Yes indeed there are written guideline for the use of cotsides available. Risk assessment is vital you can find this on the BMJ web site using keyword falls

Good luck

J

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Is this the original thread that started the "apology" thread?

Heather

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Hi Heather,

Yes, this is one of the threads that started the other thread "that won't die a dignified death". There were a few threads that were started around the same time.

bob

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Hi everyone, I just recently found this site...and love it so far. I am an RN working in a 120 bed ltc facility. I have recently been asked to take over as the wound care cordinator and the safety cordinator. I am looking for any assessment tools out there, for preventing falls in the elderly. Also as a safetly cordinator I have monthly meetings. Seems in the past, these meetings, in my opinion werent very effective in patient safety, just enviromental safety. I would like to get the two combined, and have a more effective process. Anyone out there, have any suggestions for me? I would appreciate anything you have. Thanks, Tracy

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