Fall Prevention: Personal Attention vs. Assistive Alerts?

Do alarms lead nurses in SNFs to interact less with residents? Do the alarms help prevent falls? According to a New York Times article from July 2, 2016,  there is a movement away from “things” to help with falls and toward an emphasis on human care.  Nursing Homes Phasing Out Alarms to Reduce Falls explains there is “a nationwide movement to phase out personal alarms and other long-used fall prevention measures in favor of more proactive, attentive care. Without alarms, nurses have to better learn residents’ routines and accommodate their needs before they try to stand up and do it themselves.” Over time prevention moved from restraints to alarms, floor mats, etc. and now prevention is moving from those to personal attention. This change is based on ” a growing body of evidence indicates alarms and other measures, such as fall mats and lowered beds, do little to prevent falls and can instead contribute to falls by startling residents, creating an uneven floor surface and instilling complacency in staff.”  

According to the article there are those who are still using alarms and it will take some time for the change to be more widespread. As one expert noted in the article, using an alarm doesn’t prevent a fall. “Going alarm-free isn’t yet possible for every nursing home, but it’s generally becoming a best practice as nursing facilities work to create the most home-like setting for people who live there, according to John Sauer, executive director of LeadingAge Wisconsin, a network of nonprofit long-term care organizations.” As one expert noted in the article, using an alarm doesn’t prevent a fall.

It seems that more personal care will be a great thing-but will the facilities have enough staff to help residents? We’ll have to wait and see…