Bed Safety Checklist
A majority of institutional falls occur in the patient’s room; up to half of all falls take place from, or near, the patient’s bed. This checklist helps nurses and CNAs support safe patient mobility and avoid falls.
| Recommendations | Rationale |
| Maintain bed at appropriate height | Bed height is appropriate when the patient's knees are at 90 degrees and the feet touch the floor. This height supports the patient's mobility to exit a bed safely. If bed height is raised for nursing care, return the bed to a low position when care is completed. |
| Ensure bed brakes are on at all times | Prevents the bed from rolling away during bed transfers. |
| Always leave nurse call bell within reach when patient is in bed. | The patient should be able to operate the call bell and use it appropriately. Demonstrate the use of the call bell to patient and ask patient for a return demonstration. Consider the use of a fall alarm in any patient who is at fall risk and is unable to use the call bell. |
| Ensure that frequently used items are left within reach of the patient. | Reaching for items that are out of reach may cause the patient to lose their balance. |
| Place anti-slip strips on floor where the patient exits the bed. | Protects patient from slipping on any spilled food and water, etc. |
| Position over-bed table on the non exit side of bed. | Discourages patient from using the over bed table, which can easily roll away, as a handhold when trying to exit from bed. |
| If in use, place the bedside commode next to bed, on the exit side. If in use, position canes/walkers next to bed, on the exit side. |
Placing the commode on the exit side makes access easier for the patient. Placing the cane/walker on the exit side makes access easier for the resident/patient. |
| Keep the bedroom night light illuminated at all times. | Provides greater visibility when natural light is low. |
| Use height adjustable low beds to support safe transfers/prevent injurious falls. | A height adjustable low bed (range from 6 to 32 inches in height) provides proper bed height for safe transfers in small height patients and kept in the low position helps prevent injurious falls (should a fall occur, distance of falling will be less). Consider the use of a fall alarm (to detect rollouts from bed)/floor mat (to avoid rolling on floor) in conjunction with bed in low position. |
Tideiksaar, R. Falls in Older People: Prevention and Management. 4th Edition.
Health Professions Press, Baltimore, MD 2010