March 13-19 Is National Patient Safety Awareness Week

SPRINGFIELD — Each year, somewhere between 700,000 and 1 million people in the U.S. fall while a patient in a hospital.

The good news is that close to one-third of falls can be prevented, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Research shows that falls can be prevented by managing a patient’s underlying fall risk factors, such as problems walking, medication side effects, confusion, frequent toileting needs, and others.

Recognizing the fact that falls are the most common adverse events in hospitals, Baystate Medical Center has been focusing attention on reducing, with the goal of eliminating, patient falls.

In an effort to raise awareness and encourage the engagement of patients, families, healthcare providers, and the public in patient safety, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has designated March 13-19 as Patient Safety Awareness Week. This year’s campaign, “United for Patient Safety,” aims to improve the safety of the healthcare system for patients and the workforce, and seeks to instill the message that “every day is patient-safety day.”

Recently, a pilot project at Baystate called ACE – Acute Care for Elders, tailored to the specific needs of hospitalized older adults, resulted in the reduction of delirium (a common problem for elder patients), a reduction in the use of antipsychotic drugs, reduced length of stay and hospital readmission, as well as in the number of falls on the ACE unit.

“Our attention in reducing falls for elderly patients on the ACE unit focused on the medications they were taking, which can increase their risk for falling because they cause side effects like dizziness,” said Virginia Chipps, unit manager on Springfield 3, where the pilot project is centered. “We also watched out closely for those patients, some of whom, when getting up from lying down or sitting, are at risk for falling because of a drop in their blood pressure. And a large emphasis was placed on keeping our elder patients mobile — in other words, up and walking, which can play a big role in reducing falls.”

Baystate Medical Center also recently introduced a hospital-wide falls-prevention effort where employees, whether a nurse, doctor, or other support staff on a unit, “watch for yellow.” Patients who are at risk for falls are now given yellow socks to wear while in the hospital, along with a wristband, and there are also door placards identifying them as fall risks.

“The idea is to make it easier for anyone on a hospital unit to watch for falls-risk patients, who may need assistance. And it’s not just the clinical staff; everyone can help prevent falls,” said Chipps.

Outside the hospital, falls continue to be a major threat for those age 65 and older, one-third of whom fall each year and sustain serious injuries, such as head trauma, lacerations, or fractures. Every 29 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall.

“Geriatrics is all about a team-based approach to improve outcomes for patients and families,” said Dr. Maura Brennan, chief of Baystate’s Geriatrics & Post-Acute Medicine Division, and medical director of Hospice for Baystate Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Hospice. “Falls are a common and sometimes devastating problem for seniors. The key is to get a prompt, thoughtful, and broad evaluation of all the problems that may be contributing to falls, such as poor vision, balance problems, hazards in the home, or drugs or alcohol that can impair a person’s walking. Then, the name of the game is to improve as many of those factors as possible. The time to focus on the problem is before an injury. Prevention is critical, and the key to maintaining independence and joy in life for older adults.”

The American Geriatrics Society’s Health in Aging Foundation recommends the following tips for making a home safe from falls:

• Keep cords away from areas where people walk.

• Remove loose carpets and rugs, or tack down the carpets and only use rugs with nonskid backing.

• Add lights in dimly lit areas and at the top and bottom of stairs.

• Use nightlights in bedrooms, halls, and bathrooms.

• Clean up clutter, especially near staircases.

• Put handrails on both sides of any steps or stairs in or outside the home.

• Add grab bars near the toilet and bathtub, and no-slip decals or a rubber mat in the tub or shower.

• Wear firm shoes that are not slippery on the bottom.

• Don’t walk around in loose slippers or socks.

• Talk with your doctor if you have been experiencing falls, which could be the sign of a new medical problem that needs attention, or that a medication might need to be changed.