Pressure Ulcer Prevalence
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital cares for a large number of patients at very high risk for the development of pressure ulcers, including persons with spinal cord injuries and elders with complex health problems. Over the past year and a half, specially trained teams of our nursing staff have been conducting quarterly pressure ulcer prevalence surveys, coordinated by a certified Wound/Ostomy/Continence nurse. Our rates have continued to decrease over the past year. The majority of our hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are superficial, and those that are most serious, are often a result of other complex medical and behavioral issues. We provide ongoing efforts at monitoring trends and providing improvement. Our nurses are committed to patient education and the prevention of complications, as they prepare people, often with ongoing impairments in physical and functional health, to return to the community.
Falls
The staff of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital consistently strives to keep patients safe by preventing falls. Our hospital cares for a large number of patients who are at high risk for falls. These patients include those with brain and spinal cord injuries, and elders with complex health problems. Such patients require a comprehensive fall management program to successfully reduce the number of falls and injuries. Our fall prevention program is proactive and addresses the physiological and environmental risk factors that increase an individual’s risk for fall-related injuries. We communicate to all caregivers and family members, the patient’s risk of falls, potential for fall related injuries, and specific ways to prevent falls. Our advanced practice nurse provides on-going staff education and training in fall prevention and management. We perform post fall safety assessments. The information that is being collected from the post fall safety assessments is making a difference in preventing future patient falls and injuries as the patient progresses through their rehabilitation program.
|
|
|
