Nov 21

In my previous article, I focused on how medical organizations from around the world try to reduce harm from falls in their own facilities on a macro level. Now I am going to delve on more practical advice on how to reduce the incidence of falls within our homes or workplace.

Risk assessment provides a useful framework when tackling accidents caused by trips, slips and falls. Here is a five-step approach for this:

1. Look out for anything that may cause an accident. It could be objects lying around the floor like toys or rubbish; a wet floor; or basically, the proverbial banana peel that can cause people to slip.

2. Identify and decide who is at risk. It could be young children, the handicapped, or the elderly.

3. Take preventive measures, like doing repairs or renovations, making sure the area is regularly cleaned and cleared of any obstruction.

4. Keep a record of what you have changed. Now this one is a bit of a stretch to expect at home, but for commercial establishments and public places, it is certainly necessary.

5. Continually monitor your living space or work area. This is more of a continuation of the first 4 steps. It wouldn’t be effective if you just stop at recording and don’t follow through, so there has to be constant monitoring.

Now here are more practical tips to prevent the incidence of falls:

- Keep pathways clear. Arrange your furniture in a way that it allows easy movement, and not serve as an obstruction. Clean pathways and remove any unnecessary clutter, like boxes, telephone cords, and loose wires from high-traffic areas. Make pathways that are wide enough for plenty of people to use, to avoid possible collision.

- Provide ample light. Make sure areas like hallways and stairways are well lit. Have rechargeable emergency lights and flashlights handy in case of power outages.

- Safeguard stairways. Keep stairways in good repair. Make sure all stairways have sturdy railings and that steps have a non-skid surface.

- Secure rugs and flooring. Secure loose rugs and carpets with tacks or a slip-resistant backing. Repair frayed carpet and loose floorboards. Avoid small throw rugs as much as possible.

- Keep your bathroom safe. Install grab bars in your shower or bath and near your toilet. Use non-skid mats in the shower or bath.

- Keep necessities handy. Store supplies, clothing, dishes, food, and other everyday items within easy reach.

You can improve your general well-being, and help reduce the risk of trips and falls by keeping yourself active and healthy. A good way to make your muscles stronger and to improve your balance is to have a regular exercise and a proper diet. You do not have to go to the gym to remain active. Simple tasks, like gardening, regular house work, and walking can boost energy levels and improve coordination and balance.

Exercise is very important for older people since they are more prone to falling.

*** For all your disability equipment needs, visit www.doability.co.uk.

Nov 13

I am no stranger to minor accidents at home and outside. Slips, trips, and falls happen to a lot of people of all ages, from all places, and in all walks of life. These would sometimes lead to injuries which would require hospitalization, or at least a visit to the nearest doctor.

What a lot of us do not realize is that these falls happen to patients in the hospitals and medical facilities, too. There is nothing worse than injuring a person who is already sick, and the cause of such injury is the person who is supposed to be taking care of the patient, like the doctor or nurse. It is like adding injury to an existing injury.

Patient safety has been constantly one of the most pressing challenges in the health care industry, and a significant part of patient injuries come from falls while confined in the hospitals and nursing homes. Reducing harm from falls is becoming one of the top priorities of hospitals and health care organizations around the world. Patients, regardless of age, fall. While certain risk factors are common in younger people, falls are most likely to occur in older patients and they are much more likely to experience serious injuries. A significant number of falls result in injury, or even death, costing millions per annum for immediate health care treatment alone, not to mention the additional costs of rehabilitation and social care. In addition to these financial costs, there are additional costs that are more difficult to quantify. It not only includes the obvious distress, pain, injury, but also loss of confidence and independence to the patient.

There are lots of researches and reports around the internet on patient safety, specifically on how to reduce harm from falls, but it seems that there is not one single guide for all. What is apparent is that non-profit organizations from countries like the UK, Sweden, Australia, Canada and the USA are at the forefront when it comes to these initiatives with The Institute for Healthcare Improvement IHI in Cambridge, Massachusetts providing the main thrust. In the UK, there is Patient Safety First Campaign sponsored by the National Patient Safety Agency, the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and The Health Foundation. In Australia, there is the Australian Patient Safety Foundation. While in Canada, there is the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.

The approaches are varied, localized, and sometimes isolated depending on the case. But what is common is the need to recognize these harms, identify patients prone to falls, record, monitor, and measure these incidents to be able to come up with actionable plans. These are for more organizational solutions though. Ultimately, it all boils down to the care and dedication given by our doctors, nurses, and caregivers that would spell a big difference.

Accidents do happen but a lot of them can also be avoided with the right actions and presence of mind. For those that cannot be avoided totally, there are ways to reduce the harms and risks brought about by these accidents. While this is easier said than done, it is doable with a little effort and good luck.

Sep 23
The Importance of the BHTA
icon1 Doability UK | icon2 News | icon4 09 23rd, 2009| icon312 Comments »

We are pleased to inform you that our company, Doability UK, is a member of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) as of August 4th, 2009.

What is the BHTA?

The British Healthcare Trades Association is an organisation which represents a wide range of Medical and Assistive Technologies, that is consulted as the Industry’s voice by both Government and non-Government bodies. It has a large membership base composed of 380 companies employing 17,000 individuals.

The members of the BHTA abides by the organisation’s Code of Practice.

At the heart of our association is the Code of Practice, which sets out the standards that all members must meet to demonstrate best practice in their business dealings. The Code of Practice is recognised as the UK industry standard and means that member companies trade ethically and professionally. The Code has achieved Stage One of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Consumer Codes Approval Scheme and we are providing evidence that the Code is working in practice to achieve their Stage Two approval.

What does membership to the BHTA mean?

The BHTA ensures that all business activities of its members adhere to the Code of Practice, and therefore provides quality products and ethical, professional services. A membership to the BHTA also means that the interest of the consumers and clientèle of BHTA members are protected.

With this, we at Doability UK Limited and Mobility Equipment Supplies blog are humbly proud to let you know that, as a member of the BHTA, all our activities conform to the standards of the organisation. You can be sure that you will receive nothing less than the highest quality of mobility products and services.

The formal announcement of our membership to the BHTA by Clive Taylor, our Managing Director, is posted on our main website at Doability.co.uk.

Jul 21

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently published a study on the correlation of injuries related to walking aids and its proper usage. The study was conducted using ER records from 2001 until 2006. It was found out that that a total of more than 47,000 American senior citizens are sent to emergency rooms each year, with a third of this number requiring hospitalization.

Some findings of the study include:

  • 6 out of 10 accidents associated with walkers and canes occur at home.
  • People 85 years and older are more susceptible to fall-related injuries; the study shows that the chances of accidents involving walkers and canes increase with age.
  • 33% of accidents involving walkers and 28% of accident involving canes required hospitalization.

This is rather alarming. Walking aids and other mobility equipment are created to assist the elderly and the disabled to keep them safe.

“Walking aids are very important in helping many older adults maintain their mobility. However, it′s important to make sure people use these devices safely,”" said Judy Stevens, Ph.D., the study’s lead author. “Walkers are often used by frail and vulnerable older adults; people for whom falls, if they occur, can have very serious health consequences.”

Now that even the walking aids that we rely upon to assist our elderly is questionable, what can we do about it? Are there other underlying issues we need to address to keep our elderly safe? Note that the study involved American senior citizens. From whom do we have to expect action on this matter? Social welfare? The health ministry? Or the manufacturers of mobility equipment?

What can we learn from the study?

From this study we can learn that having walking aids is not enough to assist the elderly. It is also important that they are provided with quality walking aids and are knowledgeable in how to use such aids correctly and safely. It is highly recommended that physical therapists provide counseling to teach the elderly, as well as their caregivers, how to properly use walkers, canes, scooters and other mobility equipment. Doctors and other health care professionals must also take time in ensuring that a walking aid or any other mobility equipment fits properly with the user’s stature.

A concern is raised.

The study was conducted with American seniors as subjects and findings show that the problem stems from incorrect usage of walkers and canes. However, one cannot help but surmise if the problem is also aggravated by the quality of mobility equipment. How can the quality of one brand compare with another? It cannot be denied that equipment with inferior quality contribute to accidents. However, we cannot prove anything without numbers or statistics. The study did not mention anything about the quality of walkers and canes and how it relates to the number of accidents relating to fall, but it remains to be something worth looking into, for the welfare of our elderly.

For a full copy of the study, visit the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.