Preventing Hospital Admissions Due to A Fall In A Care Home

Working in the care sector means you are looking after the most vulnerable people in our society. We understand during this pandemic that healthcare workers are on the frontline looking after residents in their care.

Unfortunately, statistics show that more than 1,000 people living in a UK care home will fall. Of those, 40% will be completely uninjured but will be left on the floor while a call is made to the emergency services. The long wait for a paramedic to arrive then begins.

There are important issues to be aware of in this situation. Firstly, in the current climate it is vital to keep possible cross contamination to a minimum. By inviting emergency service workers into the care home this drastically increases your risk of spreading the COVID-19 infection.

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Next, the pressure on the ambulance service is considerable. If a callout is made, the waiting time before paramedics arrive will be a long time as a fall is classed as a low priority call.

Kate Sheehan, Director of the OT Service, discusses the serious implications a long lie has on a person in our Post Falls Management Factsheet. Download your version here.

“Lying on the floor for a long time following a fall is the one of the most serious consequences of the fall. The results of a long lie or delayed initial recovery includes dehydration, pneumonia and kidney failure.”

These consequences will lead to the resident needing to be admitted to hospital; however, hospital avoidance is critical during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Fall projects have shown that hospital admissions can drop by up to 50% by using lifting equipment, such as the Mangar Camel and ELK, and post fall management health assessment protocols to lift residents safely.

Dr Sue West-Jones, a consultant in Emergency Medicine, explains the importance of the post falls assessment tool, ISTUMBLE.

“The reason I became involved with the ISTUMBLE project is that it is so profoundly positive for residents of care homes and those who care for them. The benefits of lifting a resident off the floor are innumerable.”

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Speak to us today on how we can help you prevent or reduce the risk of your resident being admitted to hospital due to a fall.