As more and more patients and providers perform surgical procedures in ASCs, there becomes an increase in focus on the transitional care piece to fall prevention. In other words, focus does occur on patient fall prevention in the facility, however special attention is required when assessing a patient for their risk and fall prevention practices once they return home.
Are they in a safe environment with their condition? Do they have adequate support and assistance? Are community-based services readily available and introduced? Have all appropriate measures been introduced prior to the surgery?
If you think about the process of being treated in an ASC, chances are there are a lot of missing components to the above checklist.
Additionally, when you think about it, most patients who are typically seen in an ASC have an underlying medical condition that increases risk. Further with the introduction of anesthesia and medications, a patient's risk is further compounded to a potentially catastrophic level. Jan Davidson, MSN, RN, CNOR, CASC, director of the Ambulatory Surgery Division at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses is quoted as stating "given that all patients have gone through some kind of invasive procedure, it puts them all at risk for falls. Everyone who works there needs to have heightened awareness that patients they’re taking care of have that risk."
But what about discharge planning? With the introduction of these new risk factors, additional measures should be brought into play. These may include proactive DVT prevention measures, referral to home health or outpatient therapy, a home safety and preparation checklist, introduction of DME/ADs, etc.
The Safe Balance program focuses on the discharge component allowing for the measurement of new risk factors being tied into the decision making process, leading to a more elongated program designed for enhanced effectiveness. Rather than just limiting your ASC's fall prevention program to the brief time they are in the facility, expand beyond that into the days to come.
Find out how Safe Balance's ASC version brings about specific focus to keeping the patient thriving at home safely after discharge!
The Joint Commission. Preventing falls and fall-related injuries in health care facilities. Sentinel Event Alert 2015; 55. Accessed at http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/SEA_55.pdf.
AAAHC. Patient Safety Toolkit: Ambulatory Surgery and Preventing Falls. 2013. Web: http://bit.ly/1MiqjpH.