Fall Prevention: Guidance on Utilizing Fall Alarms

Fall alarms serve as an "early warning system"; they alert nursing staff when “fall risk” patients (*) are engaging in activities that are likely to result in falls. Fall alarms can play a vital role in helping staff to prevent patient falls. However, the inappropriate selection and/or misuse of fall alarms may actually predispose patients to falls and injuries. The purpose of this course is to provide hospitals and long-term care facilities with guidance on the appropriate utilization of fall alarms in reducing fall risk. 

(*) The term ‘patient’ is used to refer to both acute hospital patients and long-term care residents.

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Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

  1. Discuss the appropriate clinical utilization of fall alarms.
  2. List criteria for the appropriate selection of fall alarms. 
  3. Explain the maintenance of effective fall alarms.

Curriculum

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Patient Fall Prevention Process

  • Fall Risk Assessment
  • Care Plan
  • Post Fall Assessment
  • Follow Up

Chapter 3: Types of Fall Alarms

  • Pressure Pad Alarms
  • Pull-String Alarms
  • Floor Mat Alarms
  • Built-In Alarms
  • How Fall Alarms Work

Chapter 4: Common Uses of Fall Alarms

  • Warn Nursing Staff
  • Warn Patients
  • Alternative to Nurse Call Bells
  • Assessment Tool
  • Nursing Aid

Chapter 5: Indications for Fall Alarms

  • Criteria
  • Risk Factors
  • Periods of High Fall Risk
  • Clinical Process Uses

Chapter 6: Selection of Fall Alarms

  • Identify a Multidisciplinary Team
  • Identify Patients Benefiting from Alarms:
  • Identify Specific Patient Groups

Chapter 7: Choosing the Right Alarm

  • Potential Patient Conditions Interfering with Fall Alarms
  • Choosing the “Right” Fall Alarm for Staff
  • Purchasing the “Right” Fall Alarm

Chapter 8: Maintaining Effective Fall Alarm Systems

  • Staff Error
  • Organizational Error
  • Alarm Error
  • Patient Error
  • Strategies for Improving the Effectiveness of Fall Alarms

Chapter 9: Auditing Fall Alarms

  • Audit Process

Chapter 10: Keys to Success

  • Organizational Support
  • Staff Education
  • Fall Alarm Maintenance
  • Audits
  • Nurse Champion

Chapter 11: Are Fall Alarms Over-Used?

Chapter 12: Case Studies

Chapter 13: Appendix

  • California Bill 241
  • Implicit Bias in Healthcare
  • What is Implicit Bias?
  • Implications of Implicit Bias in Healthcare
  • How to Reduce Implicit Bias

Price: $12.00

Contact Hour: 1

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Course Author

Rein Tideiksaar

Rein Tideiksaar, PhD, PA-C, or Dr. Rein as he is commonly referred to, is the president of Fall Prevent, LLC, Blackwood, New Jersey, a consulting company that provides educational, legal, and marketing services related to fall prevention in the elderly.

Dr. Tideiksaar is a gerontologist, which is a health care professional who specializes in working with elderly patients, and a geriatric physician's assistant. He has been active in the area of fall prevention for over thirty years. 

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