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April Falls Awareness Month - prevention key
MEDIA RELEASE April 22, 2013
April Falls Awareness Month - prevention key to keeping people well
Falls prevention
remains a key focus for the Canterbury Health System, not
only during a patient’s stay in hospital but for when
they’re at home too.
April has been Falls Awareness month both here in Canterbury and across New Zealand.
Ken Stewart, Canterbury DHB falls prevention clinical lead says the Canterbury Health System’s approach to falls puts the person at the centre with every falls prevention plan being unique.
“Falls plans are tailored to that person’s needs and involves them, their families and those responsible for their care.” Ken says.
The Canterbury Health System’s hospital and community falls prevention programmes are designed to keep people safe in their own homes, in the community and during a hospital stay.
“We keep people safe and try to reduce their risk of falling in their homes by having local community falls champions working alongside their General Practice team.
“Falls champions provide a free falls prevention home hazard check and strength and balance exercises in people’s homes over a six to 12 month period,” Ken says.
This approach has led to a significant reduction in the number of elderly people presenting to our hospitals after a fall in the last year.
“We currently have about 40 falls-related visits to the Christchurch emergency department by people over the age of 75 each week.
“We also know that elderly people who are admitted to hospital are at greater risk of having a fall, which may mean they have to spend longer in hospital or go into aged residential care rather than return to their own homes.
“This is why falls prevention is a key patient safety priority in our hospitals as well as in our wider community.”
Ken says the findings from a study of the 233 falls at The Princess Margaret Hospital in Christchurch during 2012 reinforced the need to pay close attention to the specific falls risk for each elderly patient while they are in our care.
In addition to addressing patient-specific factors, falls prevention in our hospitals is focusing on the following key elements for each patient:
1. asking patients if they have had a fall at
home over the past year
2. assessing a patients’ risk
of falling in hospital
3. putting specific falls
prevention strategies in place to prevent a fall in
hospital
4. talking about these strategies with patients
and their families
5. putting a falls prevention plan in
place for when patients are able to return home.
Further information about April Falls can be found at www.hqsc.govt.nz
ENDS
Canterbury DHB
CDHB
Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is a Christchurch, New Zealand based hospital and healthcare provider for the
Canterbury region of New Zealand. Our region extends from Kekerengu in the North, to Rangitata in the South and Arthurs Pass in the West and comprises the six Territorial Local Authorities of Kaikoura, Hurunui, Waimakariri, Christchurch City, Selwyn and Ashburton.
We collaborate with other health and disability organisations, stakeholders and our community to decide what health and disability services are needed and how to best use the funding we receive from Government to improve, promote and protect the health, wellbeing and independence of our population.
At the Canterbury DHB, our vision is to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Canterbury.
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