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Standard 10: Falls Prevention

Falls-related injuries can include minor skin abrasions, joint dislocation, fractures and head injuries. These injuries may result in hospitalisation or an increased length of stay in hospital.

The risk of falling can greatly increase when admitted to hospital due to a range of factors including illness and unsteadiness, adapting to a new environment, the introduction of new medications and walking in unsafe footwear or slippers.

Western Hospital has systems and processes in place to identify patients at risk of falls, using specific criteria and tools to risk assess our patients and then put in place a number of strategies to minimise falls whilst in hospital. We do this by educating our staff to ensure that the patient’s call button and personal items are in reach; that call bells are attended to promptly; that patients are assisted to the toilet at regular intervals; and that patients have the appropriate walking aids.

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