Falls interventions

Specialties LTC Directors

Published

So....do your staff nurses come up with interventions to prevent a second fall from happening? My nurses write the sos...call bell in reach and encourage resident to use it. Cripes...the resident is demented....let's be real.

Is there a list of interventions y'all use? I had a great web site from the VA saved on my computer but someone stole the computer! Any suggestions?

May I have a copy also please ? :yeah:

Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

Part of the updated regs this last year as to making the resident's environment more "homelike" was not to have alarms "unlelss absolutley necessary". we have cut way back on them since surveyors really look for those kind of things. If there has not been any falls for 90 days, then the alarms are removed.

As for getting UA's, we removed that from our standing house orders as you will find that the majority of nursing home residents do have a UTI and just not symptomatic. Due the the over use of antibiotics, our Med Director advises against treating for a positive UA unless they are running a temp or otherwise syptomatic, and this does not include a fall.

1 Votes

I think all of this "right to fall" and "homelike environment" has just gone a little over the top. They are not home, they are in a nursing facility. If they didn't need monitoring and nursing care, they would still be at home!

I may get flamed for this, but I am all for bringing back soft restraints and lap buddies. It would have saved many a busted head and broken hips at my facility. Really, it's just getting ridiculous how you can't protect a person from harm.

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

My latest fall intervention (just loved it)

I made a bet with an alert and oriented frequent faller (2-3 falls/mo every single month) that he couldn't go a whole month without falling. If he could go the whole month, I would buy him lunch. It worked - no fall - I bought lunch.

The underlying benefit to my scheme here is that I now have documentation to support that this resident is perfectly capable to calling for help and staying off the floor if he really wanted to!

1 Votes
I think all of this "right to fall" and "homelike environment" has just gone a little over the top. They are not home, they are in a nursing facility. If they didn't need monitoring and nursing care, they would still be at home!

I may get flamed for this, but I am all for bringing back soft restraints and lap buddies. It would have saved many a busted head and broken hips at my facility. Really, it's just getting ridiculous how you can't protect a person from harm.

We still use lap buddies and geri-chairs with trays. Not often, but when necessary, with lots of documentation, and familial consent.

Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU, Psych, Med-surg...etc....

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do....I had a resident who I know fell about 40 times in a month- sometimes three or four times a day. Alarms- personal and sensor, anit-tippers, brakes on the chair, lap buddy, self release belt, pommel cushion, soft velcro belt, motion sensors, call bell in reach (yeah the demented resident with the intervention to teach him and remind him to use the call bell)...,merri walker, mats on the floor, landing strips, new shoes, table-tops, PT and OT evals, diversional activities (though his preferred activity was falling on the floor), restorative for ambulation (we only taught him to fall more),- I was at my wits end. Tried restraints, he just stood up with the restraint and all and walked with the chair- broda chair, geri chair- couldn't keep him down. We managed to keep him from hurting himself, no break or lacerations and then his family decided to move him closer to them- needless to day I was overjoyed! The sad part was that when he got to the new nursing facility he was there about three weeks, eloped and tried to climb over a fence. That proved to be too much for him. He fell off the fence and broke his hip. I don't think he ever tried to walk again.

1 Votes

can some one please send me a list of interventions to put in place for falls. Thanks.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

Please share the VA website. Thank You

Specializes in Post Acute, Med/Surg, ED, Nurse Manager.

We fit the interventions to the situation leaving door open onnroom, 15 min checks with documentaion. First up, for day or meals for impulsive people. First down for those trying to self transfer to bed, non skid strips on floor, fall mats once in a while and care planning they can be on mat with bed low of they roll out of bed often. Tape on floor to mark where furniture goes if the fall trying to reach night stand items. Enforcing a Q2 toileting policy with CNAs. Eve fall group in activities room with 1 CNA or activity staff between dinner and getting people in bed. The most effective for me -I have an 'anti-gravity group' at my nurse cart when I am on the floor and play music quietly while I work and keep an eye on impulsive people climbing out of W/C if other interventions arent effective.

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