Falls
Commitment
Heywood Hospital is committed to improving our fall prevention program and achieving improved outcomes.
Communication
Our plan includes creative communication strategies such as a “Red Sox” Fall Campaign, and a “Guardian” program to enlist the support of all staff and patient families in preventing falls. Root cause analysis has also led us to the “Call Before You Fall” initiative, reminding patients to call us before they get up and walk without assistance.
Assessment
Ensuring that we assess patient risk for falls effectively by utilizing appropriate tools, and then taking appropriate preventive actions are key components of our strategy for improvement.
Prevention
Strategies to prevent falls include:
- Placing high risk patients closer to the nursing station
- Testing bed alarms more frequently
- Purchasing “tabs” monitors to help staff monitor high risk patients
- Hiring and training patient monitors
- Implementing sensory objects and activities to engage patient attention
- Posting data to remind staff and to visualize progress
We welcome community and patient input on these plans and actively work to engage patients and their families in our quality improvement efforts.
Pressure Ulcer Prevalence
Commitment
Heywood Hospital is committed to improving our pressure ulcer prevention program and achieving zero pressure ulcers.
Communication
Our plan is embraced with the slogan “Save Our Skin” (SOS) and includes a multidisciplinary team approach involving nursing, medicine, nutrition, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
Assessment
Ensuring that we perform total skin assessment upon all admissions and transfers and then taking appropriate preventive actions are key components of our strategy for improvement.
Prevention
Strategies to “Save Our Skin” include
- Daily rounding
- Weekly skin rounds
- Education programs for staff
- Annual Skin Management competency
- Education programs for staff
- Monthly Skin Task Force meetings with liaisons from each nursing unit
- “Fall into Prevention” & “Spring into Skills” Fairs biannually
- Investing in certification for Registered Nurses in Wound Management
- Utilizing skin preventive devices and supplies
- Turn Clocks for patient mobility
- “Millie Needs to Walk Campaign”
We welcome community and patient input on these plans and actively work to engage patients, their families and loved ones in our quality improvement efforts.
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