Health care providers taking part in April Falls were encouraged to send us photos of local displays and activities with all entries going in the draw to win a morning tea to the value of $100. View the entries below.
- ATR service, older persons health and rehabilitation, Canterbury DHB
- ATR Unit, Nelson Hospital, Nelson Marlborough DHB
- Calvary Hospital, Invercargill
- Mary Potter Hospice
- Northland District Health Board
- South Canterbury District Health Board
- Taranaki District Health Board
- Te Wiremu House, Anglican Care Waiapu
- Tokoroa Hospital
- Ultimate Care, Mt Victoria, Wellington
- Waikato Hospital
- Waikato Hospital library
- Waikato Hospital regional renal incentre dialysis
- Waikato Hospital, ward 2
- Waikato Hospital, ward 12
- Waikato Hospital, ward M3
- Waikato Hospital, ward M4
- Waikato Hosptial, ward M7
- Waikato Hospital, ward M8
- Waikato Hospital, older persons and rehabilitation ward
- Wairarapa District Health Board
ATR service, older persons health and rehabilitation, Canterbury DHB
April Falls display in one of the wards in the AT&R service, older persons health and rehabilitation at Canterbury DHB.
ATR Unit, Nelson Hospital, Nelson Marlborough DHB
"The idea was to be interactive so the board filled with items as staff discussed and considered their responses to what they felt important to reduce falls from their perspective. Two falls posters came out of it (which form part of the this board) which are displayed on the ward. This board was in the staff area to promote discussion."
Calvary Hospital
Mary Potter Hospice
Northland District Health Board
Northland District Health Board had banners and information up on board around the hospital during the month of April.
South Canterbury DHB
"We set up the bed, and our volunteer “Fergus” in the hospital café. A number of falls hazards were placed about the diorama, and we ran a competition for staff to "Spot the falls hazards". We also ran an online version of the competition through our staff intranet for those people who do not frequent the café.
"The café is also visited by patients, their families and other visitors, so it was an excellent place to share the message with our community. A further information board was available close to the hospital entrance."
Taranaki District Health Board
Taranaki DHB focused on strength and balance as the theme for falls awareness week. Staff were provided with a variety of information on the intranet, a staff online quiz and a staff challenge which focused on a number of short activities to test strength and balance. A number of displays were set up promoting falls awareness week around the two hospitals. Display material was also sent out to a number of rest homes.
Te Wiremu House, Anglican Care Waiapu
Falls prevention display and posters from Te Wiremu House, Anglican Care Waiapu.
Tokoroa Hospital
Ultimate Care, Mt Victoria, Wellington
"Staff and residents participated in a most enjoyable and informative session as part of our April Falls promotion.
"Our falls prevention group engaged those present in a professional, fun and friendly manner, working through the process of 'Ask, assess, act' and strongly reiterating the message that falls prevention is everyone’s business.
"The participants demonstrated their newly acquired knowledge about the programme when put into teams and given the task of producing a falls prevention poster. These posters will be used to promote falls prevention in our facility over the coming months, both on display and for in-service education sessions."
Waikato Hospital
Sharon McPherson, delivers a falls education to a group of participants at Waikato Hospital. The programme which also runs at Thames Hospital is held over a six-week period and consists of half-day education and practical help sessions designed to lessen the risk of falling by identifying causes and suggesting ways to remove or lessen the risk. It is offered to invited older persons (and interested family) who want to remain safely on their feet.
Waikato Hospital library
April no falls month display at Waikato Hospital library. Students are pictured reflecting on the fall prevention resources available, which have created a lot of interest.
Waikato Hospital regional renal incentre dialysis
For our entry we focused on falls due to postural hypotension post dialysis. This is a common cause of falls in our unit. We created a colourful and interactive display with information for staff and our patients. The board’s position is by the main entrance in and out so we thought it would be fun to have something to look at, to read and to be able to touch.
We reviewed the physiology of the hypotension, went through actions for nurses and patients, at dialysis and at home for preventing falls, and gathered resources for more information and the essential forms around falls as the 'learning'. There’s a comic at the top starring Humpty illustrating a very common lead up to a fall. The tree and autumn leaves represent the message to 'make sure leaves are the only things that fall this autumn'.
Waikato Hospital, Ward 2
Pictured is Melissa Yakimyshyn and Emily de Jong. The falls focus board helps to increase awareness of patient safety and fall prevention - the outcome to decrease needless admissions or prolonged stays for patients.
Waikato Hospital, Ward 12
The falls focus boards are a reminder to all staff, patients and family of the importance of assessing and being aware of their fall risk on admission and when their condition changes. Staff must involve the patient asking about their falls history, their loss of confidence ‘fallaphobia” and work together to reduce the risks and increase mobility safely.
Pictured are:
- Nursing and 4th year intern medical staff (registered nurses Sara Kapoor, Jasmine Bayliss, Dakota Sykes and health care assistant Tony White).
- Interns (Jasmine Sarson, Lucy Gray and Liam McAskie).
Waikato Hospital, ward M3
Ward M3 are focusing on falls prevention strategies – ensuring the ward environment is safe and free of clutter for all patients and family at all times (Well Organised Ward – productive series).
Pictured below are: Elaine Wills (receptionist), registered nurses Rylla and Maraia, health care assistant Paula and student nurse Shareen.
Waikato Hospital, ward M4
The ward focus is on handover of information and documentation of fall prevention strategies within the patient’s care plan. Encouraging Nurses to think beyond the falls risk score and address al falls risk – using the Upright falls care plan flip chart and a ward falls checklist.
Pictured below are: Student nurses Jessica Horne and Breanna Simonek, registered nurses Liza Adane, Jessica Gonsalves and Joval Pattathil and nurse educator Michele Richardson.
Waikato Hospital, ward M7
A multi-disciplinary approach focusing on fall prevention within a timely, safe discharge, which includes education to reduce risk and prevent falling whilst in the ward and community.
Pictured below are: Jenny Madang, Joanne Antonio, Nathalie Ross, Jono Whitley, Sheena Fleet, Erica Clarke, Abbey Hayman and Jenny Zhao.
Waikato Hospital, ward M8
The neurosurgical ward commonly use high vigilance and other strategies to prevent patient falls. Their patient population is often confused, ataxic (lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements, may also be slurring of speech, tremor of the voice) and impulsive. They have created two focus boards: one to focus on prevention in the ward and the other in the home.
Pictured below are: Nurse educator Michelle Richardson and registered nurses Simone Johns, Louise Dixon, Sulthana Ageel and Min Wang.
Pictured below are: Student nurse Gretchen Raethd, charge nurse manager Cherul Blackburn and Dr David Cagney.
Waikato Hospital, older persons and rehabilitation centre
Fall prevention is part of the older persons and rehabilitation centre's every day activities!
Wairarapa District Health Board
Wairarapa District Health Board had a display for April Falls themed 'Eyes on falls' which was in the entrance of Wairarapa Hospital.
