Poorly fitting bed rails have caused deaths where a person's neck, chest or limbs become trapped in gaps between the bed rails or between the bed rail and the bed, headboard, or mattress. Other risks are: rolling over the top of the rail or climbing over the rail.
Floor sensor mats can be placed around the bed or room and that can alert staff the moment an elderly person is wandering and at risk of a fall, allowing for immediate assistance. That’s fine but as I keep saying, if the staff are busy in another room helping a patient they will not be able to get to the wandering resident to prevent them from falling and breaking bones.
My preference is for one-on-one supervision 24/7. That means three nurses/carers every day as is Best Practice.
References
Healey F (2007). Bedrails — Reviewing the Evidence: A Systematic Literature Review, National Patient Safety Agency, London.
Nowicki, Tracy; Fulbrook, Paul and Burns, Cheryl. Bed Safety Off the Rails [online]. Australian Nursing Journal: ANJ, The, Vol. 18, No. 1, Jul 2010: 31-34
Preventing Falls and Harm From Falls in Older People Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Hospitals 2009 www.safetyandquality.gov.au
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