Inpatient Falls and bed alarms Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Inpatient Falls and bed alarms - Dissertation Example This can be in the form of low rise beds; call lights placed at closer distance, placing floor mats, toilets at closer intervals. The environment surrounding the patient should be modified to minimize the impact of the fall of the patients. It is said that 33% adults over the age of 65 fall every year. 20% of the adults who experience the fall suffer moderate to extreme injuries. The hospitalization cost estimated for the fall of a patient is about $17,500. Falls have been referred to as â€Å"nurse sensitive quality indicator† (Castex & Albright 2010). Most of the falls occur in and around the patient’s bed and in the bathrooms and are often unobserved. Patient falls are associated with certain very serious consequences. The fall experienced by a patient has a negative affect on his self confidence and result in fear of falling and ‘post fall anxiety syndrome’. A serious fall reduces the mobility of the patient and restricts his ability to perform daily ac tivities. The patient’s fall makes him more susceptible to diseases and may have debilitating affect. It may even lead to death. 50% of the people who experience a major fall die after one year. The accountability or liability associated with a fall lies with the hospital staff and the authorities (Simmons, 2010). The hospital has to bear significant costs associated with patients’ fall. It is extremely important for hospitals to identify preventive measures to control fall rates. This paper analyzes on whether the introduction of bed alarms can reduce the inpatient falls. Background and Significance of the Issue Inpatient falls are a major safety issue in hospitals because the falls may result in severe injury to the patient, have debilitating affects and may even lead to death. The patient’s prolonged stay in the hospital increases the associated costs that the hospital has to bear if the patient stays for a longer duration. The greater need for follow up care of patients, surgical needs and the costs associated with diagnostic purposes adds to the increased costs for the hospital (Hernandez, 2005). According to reports by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the fall costs associated with older adults was estimated at $20.2 billion in 1994. This cost is predicted to increase up to $32.4 billion by the year of 2020 (CDC Injury Center, 2006). Hospitals have to bear large costs associated with the falls. 15% to 30% of the falls cause fractures in patients. This involves the cost of casting, surgery or traction and at times even leads to death (Lopez & Et. Al., 2010). The risk factors that contribute to falls are the severe illness of a patient, the â€Å"poly pharmacy treatment strategy of the patient† , unfamiliarity of the patient with his surroundings, balance deficit, neurological disease, visual deficit, lack of proper nutrition, musculoskeletal problems and lower hip problems, multiple medication, cognitive impair ment, hypotension, depression to name a few (Dougherty, 2008). The injuries from falls can be very severe especially for the older people. According to the MD, director of the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Ronald I. Shorr, the fall rate in hospitals is about â€Å"four to five falls per 1,000 patient days, or about a fall per day in a 250-bed hospital† (Simmons, 2010). Further it is also said that one