Fall Prevention in Long Term Care Facility. Essay Sample

Most healthcare providers and residents recognize falls as inevitable potions of aging. However, several interventions need to be kept in place to prevent falls in SUN LTC Skilled Community. These strategies and interventions are easy and straightforward to attain, and they can reduce risks of falling and subsequent injuries. SUN LTC skilled community as a Long-Term Care community that is established for patients requires hands-on care and 24-hour supervision. It has identified goals that need to be considered to come up with recommendations. Successful implementation of and sustainability of prevention programs requires clearly defined goals and responsibilities and clear fall management policies and procedures for all interdisciplinary team members (Keise, 2019). The objectives of the LTC Skilled community include;

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• To update the physical environment of the community within one year and equipment to prevent falls, within a budget of 1 million dollars.
• To ensure that the corporation supplies the management with the necessary tools and funding needed to implement training to teach staff how to identify possible fall risks and how to prevent them.
• Ensure that training takes place within the first six months so that staff can get prepared to identify possible risk falls.

Recommendations

The organization can start by implementing new positions in the form of team players dedicated to the identification and monitoring of residents at risk of falling. This position includes allocation of the responsibilities to physicians, nurses, therapists, and administrators, and managers who will ensure the new services and facilities are well integrated, coordinated and used in an organized manner (Keise, 2019). The organization will have to do this by considering the immediate services required, considering the resources available. Management will need to advocate for changes in Behaviour at interpersonal levels that include among residents, family and staff, institutional policies, philosophies, and procedures. also, this awareness can be issued on provincial, public and local levels

Implementation of A New Video Monitoring Network

Video monitoring such as security cameras and wireless network cameras that are affordable will be vital in enabling the management to view every activity within the care center among residents (Keise, 2019). This will enhance noticing those with the trouble of movements and risk places that need to be identified for modification, equipment replacement, or repair. The management can be able to monitor all movements within the property and view video footage later.

Wireless Network System and Alarms

The facility can implement a wireless network system that sounds the bed alarm when a resident classified as possible fall risk gets out of their bed. Bed and chair alarms are recommended for use with individuals who are cognitively impaired and by those wandering, and also those residents who are unable to call for assistance with ambulation or transfers. The implementation of a wireless network will be vital for the use of these alarms and their effectiveness.

Establishing and Modifying Railings

Optimizing the physical design of the community through additional railings to required areas, obtaining safety grip socks, and making sure all beds and wheelchairs have functioning locks (McArthur & Giangregorio, 2018). These physical restraints reduce certain risks like the safety grip socks that prevent pressure sores and muscle wasting. The utilization of side bed rails for residential reasons ensures independence in bed mobility and transfer, and they should be used in a consistent and gradual systematic method.

Education and Training of Residents and Staff

Managers and administrators can optimize the environment within the community by educating employees (Keise, 2019). Staff education includes; nurses' training on the utilization of fall risk assessment tools. Nurses should be able to describe the rationale for completing a fall assessment on admission and afterward. Employees should be aware of the distinct prevention intervention measures for each resident based on the fall risk assessment. Employees need to be educated on predisposing and precipitating factors for falls and prevention interventions and strategies to grasp that fall prevention requires a multi-disciplinary approach (McArthur & Giangregorio, 2018). Also, nurses can be educated on the medications that increase the risk of falls in the elderly, and they should conduct periodic reviews for residents under care alongside the healthcare team. Employees need to understand and implement environmental modifications as a component of fall prevention strategies.

Providing training needs, tools, and funding that can aid staff and members in performing their roles better. Although most studies have not identified education to be used as a single intervention against falls and injuries, it is vital to ensure the overall strategies and goals are accomplished (Dever Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Training, in this case, includes; ensuring that residents and employees obtain awareness on the risk of falls, interventions that can reduce the chances of falls and injuries, and exercise options. Implementation of these training sessions needs to be strategic so that the organization first assesses the readiness of its members to receive education and possible barriers to this. All employees that will be involved whether directly or indirectly in support of residents and implementation procedures, need to be included in these seminars. Education can consist of ongoing practices and opportunities and their essence. Staff can be trained to assist in identifying residents who are at a possible risk of falling and situations that can result in a fall.

Another recommendation is changing the bedroom floors to non-slip epoxy and obtaining an industrial carpet cleaner (Lachance et al., 2016). It is vital that the place residents' step on is multi-layered and seamless to maintain balance while walking. An industrial carpet cleaner is essential for cleaning since cleaning must be done as many times as possible to avoid dirt and damp places that might result in falls.

Brighter Bulbs

Establishing newer and brighter bulbs into residents’ rooms and bathrooms. The residential area requires an assessment of vision if residents report visual problems (Keise, 2019). While wearing corrective eyewear and treatment of remediable visual abnormalities can decrease the risk of falls, it vital to establish brighter bulbs in rooms and bathrooms to compensate for vision problems and ensure safer movements, especially at night.

Changes in Organizational Policies and Procedures

Some organizational procedures and policies in fall and prevention techniques can also be altered to reflect the previously set goals and overall philosophies that regard safety maximization to prevent injuries (Dever Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Policies and procedures will need to be revised to reflect the reduction of environmental hazards for both staff and residents, keeping in mind that everyone here is at risk of falls, and has the role of ensuring that these falls do not occur.

Cost for implementation

Implementation of recommended strategies requires time, money, and collaborative efforts. The costs that are associated with the implementation of fall prevention programs will include the charges of, time in the form of documentation and monitoring, that is a timeline of 1 year within a budget of 1 million dollars, staff training in the form of seminars that will cost 15000 dollars at the cost of 2500 dollars per training session (Dever Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Other prices include; and any additional supplies and equipment, including; an Epoxy floor of 24000 dollars that will cost 800 dollars in every two rooms and will be used in 30 rooms (Keise, 2019). An anti-slip coating will be needed at the cost of 8000 dollars, industrial carpet cleaners at the expense of 1060 dollars, light bulbs for 3000 dollars, a wireless network system, and a bed alarm system at 18000 dollars and railings for 240000 dollars. Other costs include maintenance costs that will amount to 400,000 dollars (Keise, 2019). In total, the organization will spend 709, 060 dollars below, and within the specified budget (Keise, 2019).

References

Dever Fitzgerald, T., Hadjistavropoulos, T., Williams, J., Lix, L., Zahir, S., Alfano, D., & Scudds, R. (2016). The impact of fall risk assessment on nurse fears, patient falls, and functional ability in long-term care. Disability and rehabilitation, 38(11), 1041-1052. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09638288.2015.1085102

Keise, K. (2019). Preventing Falls in Long-Term Care Facilities (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University). https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9086&context=dissertations

Lachance, C. C., Feldman, F., Laing, A. C., Leung, P. M., Robinovitch, S. N., & Mackey, D. C. (2016). Study protocol for the Flooring for Injury Prevention (FLIP) Study: a randomized controlled trial in long-term care. Injury prevention, 22(6), 453-460. https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/22/6/453.short

McArthur, C., & Giangregorio, L. M. (2018). Improving strength and balance for long-term care residents at risk for falling: Suggestions for practice. Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management, 25(1). https://www.mdedge.com/jcomjournal/article/155615/genetics/improving-strength-and-balance-long-term-care-residents-risk?platform=hootsuite