Good Practices in Preventing Patient Falls: A Collection of Case Studies Book

Introduction     1
Taking Proper Account of Patient Falls     5
Establishing a Definition of a Fall     5
Classification of Falls     7
Other Risk Factors for Falls     8
Joint Commission Requirements Related to Falls     11
Improving Fall Risk Assessment     17
The Assessment Basics     17
Fall Initiatives Require a Team Approach     19
Choosing Risk Assessment Tools     22
Environmental Assessments     25
Fall Risk Factors as Assessment Tools     25
Staff Communication     26
Selecting the Right Fall Risk Assessment Tool     27
Designing an Effective Fall Reduction Program or Activity     31
Identify and Evaluate Fall Occurrences     32
Establish a Process to Reduce Falls     36
Monitor Effectiveness     38
The Need for Consistent Documentation of Interventions     39
Measuring a Program's or Activity's Effectiveness     40
The Joint Commission Staffing Effectiveness Standard     43
Patient Fall Prevention Case Studies     45
Patient Involvement Key to Patient Falls Prevention Improvement at Brigham and Women's Hospital     46
Paying Attention to theDetails Strengthens Fall Prevention Efforts at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center     52
The Right Assessment, The Right Patient Falls Improvement Results at The Johns Hopkins Hospital     59
Helping Care Recipients Help Themselves: UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health Fall Prevention Program Focuses on Empowerment     66
Assess and Assess Again: Persistence Is the Key to Identifying Fall Risk Factors at Life Care Center of Winter Haven     71
Creating a Falls Risk Assessment that Works in a Clinical Setting: Scott & White Memorial Hospital     75
Staff Education Key to Patient Falls Prevention Improvement at Addison Gilbert and Beverly Hospitals     79
St. Joseph's Hospital Experiences Patient Falls Prevention Success by Involving Multiple Staff Members     85
Fine-Tuning and Reanalyzing Improvements Leads to Fewer Patient Falls at Saint Vincent's Hospital Westchester     90
Improving Communication Helps Patient Fall Initiatives at James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center     97
Index     103