Patient safety is a critical priority for healthcare facilities, and preventing falls is always a top initiative as part of that priority. Despite this, falls in healthcare facilities continue with alarming frequency.
For example, in the United States it is estimated that as many as one million people fall in the hospital each year, and as many as 50% of Canadians living in long-term care facilities will experience a fall.
Given this, healthcare staff are at risk of injury when attempting to move or lift patients who have fallen. This only adds to the strain of staffing shortages, costly injury claims, and decreased employee satisfaction.
It is crucial during these events that healthcare personnel have access to safe, effective equipment to assist with lifting a patient from the floor quickly and without injury to either the staff or patient. Healthcare facilities without an effective falls management plan that includes appropriate equipment increase their exposure to the aforementioned risks.
Although the person who has fallen may be able to get up on their own, 47% of individuals who have fallen are unable to stand without assistance, even if they did not sustain an injury.
When a patient fall occurs, it is only natural for caregivers to want to immediately assist the patient off the floor. Not only is a fall distressing for the patient, but staff may also be tempted to try to lift the patient by themselves, knowing that the patient is uncomfortable on the floor. Due to staffing constraints, they may also be waiting for some time for more staff to assist.
In older patients in particular, an extended period of time on the floor after a fall (often described as an hour or more), referred to as a “long-lie,” is associated with significantly poor outcomes. These outcomes include complications such as prolonged hospitalizations, pressure injuries, repeat falls, dehydration, hypothermia, and even increased mortality.
Even when there is not an injury or complication, the psychological effects of feeling helpless and unable to get up are often long-lasting.
If the right equipment is readily available, lifting a patient safely and quickly is an easy task, reducing risk for all involved.
In most facilities, ceiling lifts or floor lifts may be relatively common. If staff has assessed the patient and determined they do not have a serious injury from their fall, using one of these safe patient handling devices can help safely transfer the patient back to bed or a chair.
However, should a fall occur in an area where these are not available, where there is limited space or where staff is limited, a safe solution is required. Ensuring that staff have an easy-to-use alternative decreases the likelihood that they will put themselves at risk trying to resolve the fall without safe lifting equipment.
Savaria’s Razier II is an innovative alternative to traditional ceiling or floor lifts and creates a unique solution to falls management post-fall. By allowing a single caregiver to deliver a dignified and supportive lift quickly after a fall, it eliminates situations where patients lie on the floor for extended times waiting for assistance, and decreases risk for all involved.
Some key benefits of the Razier II:
This lifting chair slides underneath a patient easily and once secured, mechanically raises the patient from the floor. Combined with the use of Savaria’s Risk Manager, an impact absorbing floor mat that can be placed to help prevent serious injury during a fall, the Razier II can offer patients who are prone to falls reassurance they will be safely returned to a more comfortable upright position.
Ultimately, including the Razier II in an organization’s fall management plans provides several significant benefits to patients, caregivers, and the facilities themselves:
A patient who has fallen and cannot get themselves off the floor is clearly at increased risk for a subsequent fall while transferring them back to a bed or chair. When a patient cannot safely bear weight independently, the use of a Razier II chair lift reduces the possibility of the patient becoming injured during lifting and transfers.
Additionally, a patient remaining on the floor for an extended length of time increases the risk of adverse outcomes. It is essential that patient falls be addressed as quickly as possible to facilitate the best physical and psychological recovery.
Staffing shortages are of concern to both hospitals and long-term care facilities. When a patient falls, even if multiple caregivers are available to assist, those caregivers are then unavailable to address other patients’ needs until the event is over.
With the Razier II, one caregiver can lift a patient off the floor independently and quickly, reducing physical strain and minimizing the need for multiple caregivers to assist. This allows everyone to focus on providing the best care to patients efficiently.
Fall incidents have a significant financial impact on healthcare organizations at large. Along with the possibility of serious injury to patients that increases liability, falls also come with financial repercussions for the facilities that serve them.
In the U.S. alone, nearly 50 billion dollars is spent annually on non-fatal falls. One study demonstrated an average direct cost of $35,365 per fall, and reduced costs totaling 22 million in savings across five years when safety programs were utilized.
Implementing a safe, effective fall response strategy like the Razier II can be a meaningful part of a cost-effective approach to fall management.
Savaria can help your organization innovate its falls management protocols with reliable, unique solutions including the Razier II lifting chair, helping you to meet regulatory standards and improve patient outcomes. To learn more about our available equipment, preventative maintenance programs, and world-class support, contact us today.
