For the fourth year in a row, The Joint Commission has identified patient falls as the most prevalent sentinel event type reviewed (Sentinel Event Data 2022 Annual Review, The Joint Commission). As discussed in several of our previous blog entries, such falls can have many negative consequences for patients, their loved ones, and hospitals.
Managing inpatient falls associated with toileting-related activities in a hospital can prove especially challenging. For example, a recently published observational study* of 353 falls occurring at 17 U.S. hospitals over a period of 2 years reported that:
(Fall was categorized as being related to toileting if the hospital checked “toileting/on commode w/assistance,” “toileting/on commode w/o assistance,” “ambulating to bathroom w/assistance,” “ambulating to bathroom w/o assistance,” or “dressing/undressing related to toileting,” in response to the question “Prior to the fall, what was the patient doing or trying to do?”)
To help hospitals strengthen their fall prevention protocols, TIDI Products has introduced a wireless technology platform for use in the bathroom and beyond.
Our new Posey® Wireless Toilet Sensor is an easy-to-use device designed to help professional caregivers prevent bathroom falls. This innovative wireless sensor, which addresses a critical area of hospital need, is intended to complement existing fall prevention protocols for patient toileting.
Simple instructions for use (IFU) are printed directly on the Wireless Toilet Sensor to guide setup, which includes easy sensor placement on the front of the toilet bowl, underneath the toilet seat. Once active monitoring is confirmed and the patient is seated, the Posey On Cue® PRO Alarm will sound when the pressure on the sensor is removed. The Wireless Toilet Sensor is intended for single-patient use for up to 30 days. A paper version of the IFU is also provided.
Pairing the Wireless Toilet Sensor with the On Cue PRO Alarm is quick and intuitive; the Tap-2-Pair® icons located on each device need only be aligned and tapped together. Compatibility with the On Cue PRO Wireless Nurse Call Adapter further enhances caregiver convenience by enabling the nurse call system to be wirelessly notified.
When implemented as an added safety measure in a hospital bathroom, the Wireless Toilet Sensor can help the nurse respect the patient’s right to privacy. It can also alert the nurse that a noncompliant patient (one who failed to seek caregiver assistance) is attempting to exit a toilet.
The Posey Wireless Toilet Sensor is part of a broader wireless solution designed to provide caregivers greater flexibility when monitoring patients at risk of a fall.
Like the Wireless Toilet Sensor, the Posey Wireless Chair Sensor Pad, which helps nurses monitor fall risk patients who may attempt an unassisted chair exit, is fully compatible with the On Cue PRO Alarm and the On Cue PRO Wireless Nurse Call Adapter.
The Wireless Chair Sensor Pad allows the chair to be placed anywhere in the room for patient comfort, regardless of the room’s layout, without using any long cords. Simple instructions for use are printed directly on the Wireless Chair Sensor Pad to guide setup and a paper version of the IFU is also provided. The device is intended for single-patient use for up to 30 days.
Another advantage of going wireless with Posey is that the On Cue PRO Alarm doesn’t need to be tethered to the nurse call outlet at the head of the bed. The state-of-the-art alarm (fall monitor) can be mounted anywhere in the patient room, such as next to the bathroom or patient room door. It can also be mounted outside the door of the patient room.
Just click Posey wireless technology solution for falls prevention to access additional details about this ingenious platform!
There are many more Posey products available for caregivers looking to prevent falls and/or mitigate fall-related injuries, including dual-release notification sensors, gait belts, impact-absorbing hip pads, floor cushions, and a variety of fall risk identifiers.
Learn about the Posey fall safety portfolio today!
SOURCE
*Venema, D.M., Skinner, A.M., Nailon, R. et al. Patient and system factors associated with unassisted and injurious falls in hospitals: an observational study. BMC Geriatr 19, 348 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1368-8
