Patient Engagement for Falls Prevention Program

Kaiser Permanente, Northern California

Caritas in ActionHow Caring Science informs and inspires KP caregivers and affirms our commitment to provide our

patients and their families exceptional care

Caritas Consortium 2014

Patient Engagement for Falls Prevention Program

Honoring Health, Healing & Wholeness


Intent to Contribute Statement:

Examining fall events at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara, (KP SCL) practices using only external approaches, such

as: yellow identification bracelets, signage on doors, floor pads, and alarms have not proven effective in reducing

the volume of falls. KP SCL desires to dramatically reduce the fall rate. Discovering new practices of patient

education was observed at the 2012 Caritas Consortium. Additionally, Northern California HEROES monthly

meeting had identified a best practice program called “No One Walks Alone” from KP San Diego Medical Center.

This program consisted of the following: universal fall precautions for all patients; alarms (bed and chair) for all

patients; all patients are accompanied when getting out of bed. KP SCL reviewed this best practice and added

several more elements to create an expanded “Falls Prevention Bundle”. Co-creating is described as the ability to

work with others to develop a healing environment for the physical and spiritual self who respects human

dignity. Patient engagement is critical in the success of collaboration with any prevention program. Using the

caring science to co-create a partnership with our patients allowed them to directly participate in their own

identification of risks about falling.

… ContinuedWe augmented the current nurse centered Schmid Fall Risk Assessment and supplemented this risk assessment

with the Patient Partnership Agreement from KP San Diego. The Schmid Fall Assessment Tool was converted

specifically for patients who read and speak English at a reading level of fifth grade vetted through Health

Education, Compliance, Public Affairs, and reviewed with patients along with front line staff. The “Patient

Partnership Agreement” reviews the risks, informs the patients his/her role in fall prevention, what the nurse will

do for them and how to partner to prevent falls. A pilot was conducted on a high fall department and shared

among our Nurses, Unit Assistants, Patient Care Technicians, Physical Therapist, and Mobility Team. Of all of the

new strategies implemented, the single greatest impact came from the patient education bundle which directly

engaged the patient on the real risks of falls based on their assessment using the Schmid Fall Assessment and

Patient Partnership Agreement. Patients were surprised that they were at risk. Often times voicing their concern

that they don’t think they will fall. Reinforcement of the Patient Education Bundle upon admission, transfers in

and during Nursing Knowledge Exchange with monitoring equipped the staff and patient to co-create an

approach to stop falls beyond our pilot.


Inspired Contributor(s) : Kathy Ricossa

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Service Area: Santa Clara

Medical Center: SCL

Affiliation: PCS

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Year Shared: 2014

Venue: Caritas Consortium

Format: Poster

ID #: Q02

Keyword TAGs: Identifier

Consortium2014-June, Santa Clara, Poster, Patient Care Services, Adult Services

Education & Staff Dev, Hospital Initiatives, Patients/Families

Descriptor Mentoring/Empowering Others,

HEROES



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Patient Engagement for Falls Prevention Program

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Patient Engagement for Falls Prevention Program