This has been a year like no other, especially for senior housing communities. In addition to dealing with COVID-19 cases, communities are experiencing a staggering 20% increase in falls since social distancing and shelter in place went into effect.

Residents are spending more time alone in their rooms, and communities must find new and creative ways to provide an environment that reduces the risk of falls and tailor care to individual residents and their needs. Since this is no easy task, SafelyYou leveraged data and insights from 10,000+ fall detection videos and best practices to tackle this challenge. 

This is the perfect time to take stock in the Top Lessons Learned in 2020, so you can develop a strong fall prevention program for the new year. 

• Incorporate a proactive approach to room design
  • There are numerous factors to consider when designing a resident’s room, spanning from simple safety measures to arranging furniture. Develop specific guidelines for positioning residents’ mobility aids correctly, declutter the room so they can easily move around and ensure items needed are accessible and in reach. 
• Simplify resident engagement
  • It’s important to provide activities that engage and bring pleasure to residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Help maintain their cognitive function by continuing with activities of daily living. Schedule exercises that focus on balance and strength to reduce the risk of falling. And find ways to promote social interaction, such as sharing letters and photos from their loved ones.
• Maximize staff rounding to reduce caregiver burnout
  • Staff rounding helps to build trust, reduces the resident’s anxiety and alleviates care team stress and patient uncertainty. During wellness checks, perform an environmental sweep and engage with the resident:
    • Does the resident have access to items of interest?
    • Is the resident positioned appropriately?
    • Have I placed the mobility aid in the correct location?
    • Is there a clear pathway to exit?
      
• Empower staff to act as resident advocates
  • Many residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia cannot express what they need and want and require an advocate to help them. The care staff make terrific advocates since they spend so much time with the residents. Staff members can help with doctor’s appointments, determine which type of mobility aid or equipment is needed, such as fall mats, bed types, wheelchairs, etc. and they can help residents get the most out of their occupational and physical therapy sessions.
• Implement a consistent fall huddle program
  • Implementing these steps and reducing falls will not be possible without a post-fall care team and subsequent action plans called fall huddles. You can learn all about fall huddles in the white paper, Best Practices for Developing an Effective Fall Huddle Program.

These lessons are just the tip of the iceberg. For a more in-depth look at these lessons and to learn how to put these steps into action with real-world success stories, please download the whitepaper, Preventing Falls: Top Lessons Learned in 2020.

To say that 2020 has been challenging for senior housing communities would be an understatement. While there will be much to learn when the threat of COVID-19 has diminished, there are some key lessons that are worth highlighting even now as the pandemic is surging. 

In our new whitepaper, “Preventing Falls: Top Lessons Learned in 2020,” SafelyYou leveraged data and insights from its 10,000+ detection videos and best practices to provide a guide for ensuring the safety of residents during social distancing restrictions.

• Incorporate a proactive approach to room design
• Simplify resident engagement
• Maximize staff rounding to reduce caregiver burnout
• Empower staff to act as resident advocates
• Implement a consistent fall huddle program

As you care for those who need it most during these difficult times, these invaluable lessons combined with real-world success stories will help with fall prevention planning for 2021.

READ WHITE PAPER

For more information about fall huddle program education and collaboration to encourage fall prevention in memory care, visit SafelyYou’s Fall Huddle Resource Hub.