| Name: |
Falling Star Program |
| Time Frame: |
Program implementation January 08 to present |
| Description: |
The North Country Hospital nursing department has initiated the Falling Star Program, which is a prevention plan to reduce patient falls. |
| Project |
|
| Rational: |
Falls are the nation's leading cause of non-fatal injury. They account for 87 percent of fractures among people aged 65 and older. Falls are the most common adverse event occurring in healthcare facilities. |
| Evaluation |
|
| Process: |
Several factors may put a patient at risk for a serious fall, including cognitive impairment, an unsteady gait, certain medications, advanced age, a previous history of falls etc. In addition to identifying these patient risk factors, the program seeks to eliminate certain other causal risk factors such as poor lighting, cluttered equipment or slippery floors.
|
| Interventions: |
This initiative helps nurses proactively identify risk factors that indicate the probability that a patient may fall, and provides strategies for preventing falls. Prevention strategies include the use of bed sensors that alert nurses to a patient on the move, and bright-colored stars that identify high-risk patients. The stars are placed on patient doors, whiteboards and even the patient's chart. NCH now has all charts follow patients to other clinical areas. If the chart has a star this indicates to the entire hospital staff that the patient is at a high risk of falling. |
| Measures: |
As seen on the graph, falls began to increase from a monthly base level of two to three before July 07. Beginning October 07 NCH experienced a significant increase in falls, almost all of which were minor with no significant injury. Nonetheless the Nursing Director of our Medical Surgical Unit took a proactive approach to preventing any and all falls. The graph shows an increase in falls through January 08 decreasing after the beginning of the Falling Star program in that same month. The improved results only represent four data points (months) since the beginning of the project implementation so NCH will monitor falls carefully to see if the improvement is sustainable and thus the program a success. |
| Contact: |
Stephen Halikas, Director of Quality & Risk Management
189 Prouty Drive, Newport, VT 05855
Tel: 802.334.3248 Fax: 802.334.4172 email: shalikas@nchsi.org |
