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Fall Prevention in Nursing Homes & Hospitals

Preventing falls in nursing homes and hospitals is an essential part of the everyday care of patients and residents. Fall prevention strategies and risk management in nursing homes and hospitals are also terms used and approaches taken to prevent falls.

Advances in fall prevention products means there is now an ever increasing range of solutions to help hospitals and nursing homes improve their fall prevention strategies.

Homecare Technologies are at the forefront of providing fall prevention products to hospitals, nursing homes and private individuals. The range of products are designed to manage the risk of falls and ensure that staff and carers are able to respond to a potential fall before it happens.

The range of fall prevention products includes:

• Industry’s first Antimicrobial bed and chair mats
• Non-skin sensitive bed and chair mats
• Range of short stay, standard and long stay mats for the professional nursing home and hospital sectors
• Bed & Chair monitors and kits

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Fall Prevention for the Elderly

Methods of preventing falls in the elderly have improved greatly over the years, and technology and fall management strategies in hospitals and nursing homes have all contributed to improve care of patients, residents and family members at risk of a fall.

One of the main improvements in technology has been to give carers and nurses "advanced warning" when there is a risk of a fall. This is commonly when a person at risk of falling leaves their bed or chair. The latest bed sensor mats and chair sensors are able to alert the carer or nursing staff or indeed warn the person themselves to stay where they are until assistance arrives.

The elderly in particular can be at risk of falling for a variety of reasons including cognitive problems, restricted mobility, loss of balance, dizziness, medication and muscle weakness for example.

So when you need to be alerted to the risk of a fall, what are your options? Here we quickly summarise the products available that should be of interest:

Bed Sensor Mats - a mat is placed in the bed under the sheets or under the mattress. The bed mat is connected to an alarm which is activated when the mat detects that the person is about to leave the bed. There are several alarm options:

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Fall Detection & Prevention Products

Fall prevention among the elderly and less mobile is always a concern for family and carers. Trips and falls are of particular concern not only for those who live alone but also for those in care facilities.

While preventing falls is always the number one priority what happens when a fall does occur? How can carers be alerted to ensure that help is given as urgently as possible? Fall detection is therefore also a high priority for the elderly, less mobile and those living alone or in care facilities.

At HomeCare Technologies we have an unrivalled range of fall prevention and fall detection products designed to provide a safe environment for family members and those in your care, reducing the risk of falls and ensuring help can be summoned urgently should a fall occur.

Fall prevention and fall detection products vary considerably, from the very basic bed sensor to high spec integrated fall prevention and panic alarms. Below we've highlighted some of the key features you can choose from when selecting a fall prevention or fall detection product:

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Telephones for the Elderly and disabled

Choosing phones for older people that are easy to use and set up is a lot easier and more affordable than ever. Telephones for the elderly & hard of hearing and for the disabled come with a wide choice of features and accessories that cater for just about any requirement, making day to day communication much easier for all.

Some very useful features in telephones designed for the elderly, hard of hearing and disabled include:

• Amplified ringers to announce incoming call. Amplifiers come built-in on many models of phones, and are also available as an accessory that can be added to most other types of phone for the hard of hearing
• Big Button Telephone keypad – ideal for anyone with restricted dexterity of visually impaired
• Telephone hand sets that are hearing aid compatible to improve quality of ca

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FAQ on Personal Alarms for the Elderly

If you are looking for a personal alarm for an elderly person, someone living alone or with a disability and want a system with panic buttons and alarm pendants, the following information on personal alarms will be helpful:

The Government's recent u-turn surrounding the proposed cut backs in the Senior Alert Scheme has highlighted the very real need to provide the elderly and vulnerable in Ireland with adequate measures to ensure they remain safe in their own homes.

Sadly this need has been further enforced by recent attacks on elderly people living alone who have been assaulted in their own homes and money and valuables taken.

The grant funded Senior Alert Scheme provides financial assistance for the installation of a monitored alarm system with the annual subscription service being paid by the home owner. Eligibility criteria must be satisfied first and while the criteria are not necessarily unfair they do result in the exclusion of a large swathe of the elderly and vulnerable who need and want an alert system.

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Senior Alert System

Enquiries for Panic Buttons for the elderly  and vulnerable has risen sharply in 2013, prompted firstly by threatened government cut-backs, subsequently reversed, in the Seniors Alert Scheme and the attacks on elderly citizens living alone.

These events have highlighted the need to provide family members living alone with security and an alert system to notify their carers, family members, neighbours and / or the emergency services when an event such as a break-in, fall or ill-health needs urgent assistance.

The Seniors Alert Scheme assists a great many elderly and vulnerable people in Ireland, providing financial support for the installation of a monitored alarm system. Unfortunately there are qualification criteria to receive financial assistance and this does mean that a large number of elderly citizens are excluded from financial assistance. Qualification criteria for the Senior Alert Scheme in Ireland are:

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Personal and Panic Alarms for the Elderly

The 2013 new year has not gotten off to a great start for many of the elderly living in Ireland. First the government reduced funding for personal alarms for the elderly followed by the news of break-in's, robbery and assaults on elderly people living alone.

Thankfully the government changed their minds and have confirmed that funding for personal security alarms for the elderly in Ireland will not be cut. But these unfortunate events have served to highlight the need for the elderly and vulnerable to have adequate security at home.

We have seen a considerable increase in enquiries for personal alarms for the elderly and disabled in January 2013 from those concerned about security and safety for family members living alone. Many are concerned about the cost of installing and maintaining a monitored alarm service, so here we've outlined some alternative options which:

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Dementia Care Products

How to care for people with dementia and the elderly is of primary importance for family members and carers. There is a large amount of excellent advice available on-line and we have placed links at the bottom of this page to a small selection of websites we recommend for further information.

A common theme you will find throughout all the various websites and agencies supporting dementia care is the importance of keeping someone with dementia in familiar surroundings for as long as possible, particularly during the early and middle stages of dementia when potential risks associated with living at home / living alone can be managed and quality of daily living maintained safely. This approach supports what is known as independent living, allowing a person to stay in their home and possibly live alone in familiar surroundings for as long as possible.

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Bed Monitors and Bed Sensors

A major concern for many carers is to protect and prevent the risk of falling and / or wandering for those under their care. The elderly and dementia patients are particularly at risk, so being able to give early warning to their carers is proven to reduce the risk of falling and avoid instances of unintentional wandering.

Sensor Pads come in a range of products that offer significant advantages to carers in managing fall prevention and wandering. In all cases, options exist to be able to communicate a potential risk to the carer via various devices such as radio pagers or text. Some of the main features of these products include:

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Bathroom Aids for the Elderly and Disabled

Safety in the bathroom for elderly persons and anyone with mobility issues or disability is always a priority. These products ensure the persons’ safety is paramount while also affording a level of independence for the user.

The following information is provided for guidance purposes only. If you are in any doubt as to your specific requirements please speak to one of our independent living experts or consult with an occupational therapist or public health nurse.

Grab Rails

A well installed bathroom grab rail is an essential aid in the bathroom for the elderly, disabled or those with restricted mobility. The grab rail has several functions including:

• Offering a steady support while moving around
• Providing a steady support when entering or exiting a shower or bath
• Helping with balance when standing
• Helping with standing from a sitting position, or vice versa

Grab rails are commonly found in use in the bathroom and toilet but are equally beneficial in any room or hallway as a helpful support.