Falling down for many of us is a daily occurrence in which we think little about. However, for an elderly or disabled loved one, it can be much more serious and even tragic. It is estimated that more than half of all nursing home care residents, otherwise known as long term care residents, fall yearly. Over one in four short term care, or hospitalized patients, suffers a fall during their stay. While these numbers are significant, they pale in comparison to the roughly one third of all elderly or disabled individuals who fall in their own home. The estimated healthcare costs resulting from injury, recovery and prevention is in the billions; more importantly health and quality of life are severely compromised.
Past prevention efforts have included increased staff and limited mobility for the individual, the former lacking cost effectiveness and the latter diminishing one's maximum right to life. Staff cannot always be at ones side and falls are inevitable. While prevention is important, it is vital there is an alert of a bed, chair or room exit as well as communication after a fall.
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The development of products in the fall safety category has expanded significantly over the past few years. With the introduction of wireless communicators and optical beam trip lines, technology and innovation are beginning to permeate the market.
The first line of defense in preventing falls are bed, chair and room exit alarms. The most common models consist of a pad and monitor with which an alarm is set off when pressure is removed or placed on the pad. Bed and chair, typically wheelchair, alarms are activated when pressure is removed from the pad an individual is sitting or lying on. Room exit alarms are activated when the individual steps on a mat at the exit of the room. The newest innovations use motion sensors and optical beams placed at the beds edge or the doorway, these are much less likely to be circumvented, intentionally or unintentionally, by the individual being cared for.
The alarm box itself can be as simple as an on/off alarm that can be reset by anyone including the individual being cared for. Or, it can include a variety of options such as tamper proofing which allows only the caregiver the ability to stop the alarm with a key or code. Other options include alarm delays, audible and visual alerts, volume control, multiple tones, protective boots, bed mount brackets and more. The premium versions are engineered to relay through nurse call systems and wireless communicators. The pads are very basic; they come in many different shapes and sizes but more importantly they are designed to work for varying lengths of time; a pad's expected life can range from 45 days up to one year. Wireless pads have recently been introduced; removing the cord between the pad and alarm increases the flexibility of the alarm placement as it no longer needs to be within a few feet of the pad.
String alarms are another common and inexpensive system typically utilized by individuals in wheelchairs. There is a clip on one end of the string attaching to the individual and a magnet on the other end attached to an alarm. The alarm is typically clipped on a wheelchair and if for any reason the magnet is separated from the alarm, the alarm will sound. The units may also be placed beyond doors, once a door is opened, it would trip the alarm.
Wireless technology has enveloped our society and for good reason. Wireless communicators allow individuals to have more freedom in their everyday lives while still having the ability to notify others in case of a fall. The communicator can be worn on the wrist, around the neck or clipped onto clothing. They can alert a nearby nursing station or in the case of an individual in their own home, systems can initiate speaker phone communications with loved ones or emergency personnel.
Fall prevention and safety systems range in price from just up to 0. The most common manufacturers are Horizon, UMP, Micro-Tech, Smart, Drive, Skil-Care and Ocelco.
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