2019 July Bulletin: Preventing Patient Falls

The Centers for Disease Control reports that 25% of patients 65 and older fall every year.[1] A fall compounds the burden of pre-existing health problems and can precipitate an inexorable decline. Indeed, 20% of older people who fall die within one year of the mishap. Many of these falls occur in the home. When they happen in physician offices and ambulatory surgery centers, some patients and their families assume that physicians and staff members should have predicted and prevented the falls, and sue for malpractice.

OMIC devoted an issue of the Digest to lawsuits related to patient falls (see Resources). All but one of the plaintiffs sustained serious injuries, and four died. Use our resources to identify and assist those most at risk for falls.

1 STEADI: Older Adult Fall Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/index.html

RESOURCES

Call the OMIC Hotline for confidential advice on any
risk management issue. We’re here to help!

Phone: 800.562.6642 (Press 4)
Email: riskmanagement@omic.com

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