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:
- Discuss the appropriate clinical utilization of fall alarms.
- List criteria for the appropriate selection of fall alarms.
- 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
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.
Course Accreditation
See our Accreditation Statements page to view our accreditation information.