My mother has had a really rough last 3 months.She has had 2 strokes leaving her with extreme right side weakness.The last stroke was 6 weeks ago during the time my father was on hospice following a dx of stage 4 lung cancer.She was placed in rehab after discharge where she experienced several falls.She was transferred back to the hospital after being found unresponsive in her w/c in her room,CTs did not show any further stroke,however after this episode she has been pretty confused.She was moved back to the rehab after being discharged,spent a few days at the rehab and took another fall and was sent back to the hospital where she was treated for double pneumonia and had a PICC line placed for IV antibiotics and sent back to the rehab where she was placed in a room halfway down the hall from the nurses station.I had called the rehab and talked with the nurse and told her about the confusion nd her trying to get up while in the hospital and my brother spoke with them face to face.She had not been there 2 hours until we were receiving a call telling us that she was found on the floor in her room after slipping out of her wc. The nurse stated that they had pushed her in there after lunch(WHAT!! by herself).They then did nothing to prevent another fall in my eyes.She remained in the same room,they have no alarm system to alert staff to a pt. attempting to get up(magnetic alarm would be good). We have ordered one ourselves in an attempt to keep her safe,the staff have been told countless times to call us if they need us for anything including sitting with her.They have not once called us to come sit with her and they generally do not allow family to stay so we would not know unless they called.I said all this to say this that vey same day at 11:26 pm the nurse called me to let me know that my mom had been found in the bathroom on the floor of the shower.She had scrapes and bruises and could not lift her right arm.A xray the next morning showed she had fractured her right shoulder.So what are ya'lls opinion about possible liability on their part?
If you need to restrain a resident/patient please know they are not being tied up! Geeeze...that is alarmist language and its not true. There are seat belts that affix to a wheel chair ...there is a click clasp and velcro and most patients know how to undo these. The key of course is when/if they undo the belt an alarm sounds and staff should be at the ready (adequate supervision) to make sure the resident does not stand/fall.
Restraints in bed are referred to as soft restraints and can be used for medical reasons with doctors orders. the patent cannot leave the bed (many are in diapers anyway) but it provides enough freedom of movement to turn over on their sides during sleep.
By the time most magnetic alarms sound the patient is already on his/her feet so its hard to prevent a fall using this device.
You can search the internet for safe methods...lowered beds, padded floors etc.
Because of the adequate supervison piece the facility should be liable!
On the other hand, I agree with those who think you can do better as far as this rehab facility. You need 24 hour access to your Mother and that should be encouraged by any facility.
Many patients can get caught in the bed rails that will often result in a fall.
My FIL is very determined. They have alarms on him, his seat, his bathroom door, motion detectors on the floor and so on. He continues to try to do things himself, because he forgets that he cannot do them on his own. The alarms are a warning, a preventative, but they don't stop anything from happening. The staff where my FIL is so apologetic, but, we understand that UNLESS THEY CAN STRAP HIM IN -- he is going to continue to try and continue to fall. And it is against the law to restrain him in a wheelchair. The staff is wonderful and we understand that it is not their negligence, it is just the way it is. Determined and forgetful make a bad combination. Good Luck!
I was a CNA and worked in the homes; i know how it is. Understaffed, always crying about money, not adequate supplies or i, BUT someone is making huge bucks out of it; it sure is not the working staff. So..I have been taking care of my mom in my own home for three years because i don't want her in one of those places.
Yes, I can only work part-time and hire help; which i pay for with her social security. She is very hard to deal with at times (dementia) but seems much happier here. I know she will eventually have to be in a secure facility because after awhile they don't listen to you at all and can hurt themselves, etc.
About falls- they can fall anywhere; you can't protect them all the time, really.
ASAP almost live in the facility and have a paid home health aide there overnight to ensure no more unnecessary injuries. Get the doctor to arrange a transfer to an effective rehab. I would have figured out the facility trying to limit access to an elder is a real RED Flag.
Once your mother is out of this place, you could see if you have a case for neglect with a competent attorney. However, document at home all the contacts dates, times of these falls. The fact that she is walking around with nobody helping her seems to point to neglect case--it is happening over and over again.
I fear for you mother's safety---time to step up she needs a protector.
That was exactly my point...rehabs are definitely not all the same...some care...some don't...and the only way to know the difference is through bitter or pleasant experience...depending on the place.