Examples: Patient Fall Reduction

St. John Macomb Hospital, Warren, Mich.

The patient fall reduction program was established to reduce the number of falls by patients in the behavioral medicine unit (psychiatry). This coincided with an increase in the number of geriatric patients admitted to the program.

A team was formed that included physical therapy and occupational therapy, nursing, mental health workers and the chief psychiatrist.

Contributors to Program Success

Through the use of an initial assessment, in-services, heightened awareness by staff and a walking program, falls were reduced dramatically.

Other contributors to the program's success include:

1. The program was designed to be led by the staff, having them involved from the start in the initial planning stages.



2. Physical therapy and the nursing staff set up a simple assessment tool to be performed upon admission and PRN during the patient's inpatient stay.



3. Physical therapy set up a walking program, which was followed by the mental health workers and nurses to prevent patients from becoming weak during their hospitalization and to also learn proper techniques and body mechanics to avoid injuries to patients and staff.



4. Medications, especially nighttime "sleepers," were reviewed and reduced.

The end result: a 62 percent reduction in patient falls.

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