Fall Prevention is Top Priority

Penny Parker, RN, BSN
Patient Safety Officer

Falls occur in all types of healthcare institutions and to all patient populations. Preventing patient falls is a top priority at Marlboro Park Hospital. One patient fall is one too many. At Marlboro Park, fall prevention is the responsibility of every employee. All employees receive fall prevention training during orientation. Fall prevention is also a part of yearly re-orientation for all employees.

Fall prevention begins at the time of admission. All patients, including those seen in the Emergency Department, are assessed for their risk of falling. We have two fall risk categories, low risk for falls and high risk for falls. We don’t have a “no risk” category, because our belief is that anyone can fall regardless of their age or physical condition. Inpatients are reassessed at least every twenty four hours to determine if their fall risk has changed. Patients that have the highest risk for falling are identified with a yellow clip on their identification band, a yellow magnet on the door frame of their room, and are given yellow “non-slip” slipper socks to wear while they are out of bed. The yellow clip, magnet, and slippers help every employee to recognize that the patient is at high risk for falling.

Hospitals use different ways to calculate fall rates. The most commonly used method is based on the number of falls per 1000 patient days. The national average of patient falls in hospitals is 4.18 per 1000 patient days according to a study conducted by Emory University School of Public Health. “For 2008, the patient fall rate at Marlboro Park Hospital was 1.20 per 1000 patient days”, states Penny Parker, RN, Quality Coordinator. While this is better than the national average of patient falls, Marlboro Park continues to work on fall prevention. Parker goes on to say “We are proud of the excellent job our staff did in 2008 and we have high expectations to reduce our fall rate even lower in 2009.”