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Milton Hospital Nurses Ready to Catch a Falling
Star
Milton, Mass. - The Milton Hospital nursing department has launched
its Falling Star Program, a risk-assessment and prevention plan
to reduce patient falls.
Falls are the nation's leading cause of non-fatal injury. They account
for 87 percent of fractures among people aged 65 and older, and
are the second leading cause of spinal cord and brain injury. Falls
are the most common adverse event occurring in healthcare facilities.
The Falling Star Program helps Milton Hospital nurses to identify
risk factors that may lead to a patient fall, and provides several
strategies for preventing falls. Prevention strategies include the
use of bed or chair sensors that alert nurses to a patient on the
move, and bright-colored bracelets and room signage that denote
a high-risk patient.
"The Falling Star Program is an enhancement
of the past fall prevention program at Milton Hospital. The entire
healthcare team assumes an active role in fall prevention, supporting
our hospital-wide commitment to enhance patient safety," said Susan
Mangini, MSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services.
Several factors may put a patient at risk for a serious fall, including
cognitive impairment, an unsteady gait, use of certain medications,
advanced age, a previous history of falls and more. Aside from identifying
these patient risk factors, the program seeks to eliminate external
risk factors, such as poor lighting, cluttered equipment or slippery
floors.
Milton Hospital has 250 physicians on staff, representing primary
care and several medical specialties. The 81-bed community hospital
offers affiliated programs with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
and provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient specialties.
The hospital has free on-site parking and is easily accessible by
Routes 93, 3 and 95.
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