Alert
This site has not been optimised for Internet Explorer due to Microsoft no longer providing support for the browser. Please view this site using another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
Te Pū rauemi KOWHEORI-19 COVID-19 resource hub

Support for people working in health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find information about how you can support yourselves and others, including consumers, teams and colleagues which complements and aligns with Ministry of Health resources.

Kia āta kōwhiri Choosing Wisely

The Choosing Wisely campaign seeks to reduce harm from unnecessary and low-value tests and treatment.

Betty is a 93 year old lady with a history of falls. Her daughter Barbara talks about what happened when avoidable environmental factors (a cluttered toilet space) interacted with her mother’s risk factor of impaired mobility (for which she was using a walker) to cause a fall.

You can watch or read the follow up to this patient story under the heading 'Learning from a patient story' below, or download a pdf to read or print here.

Watch this short video clip to see Barbara talk about the impacts for her mother and the family (2 mins, 1 sec) or read the transcript below. 

Thank you to First, Do No Harm for facilitating and sharing this patient story.






Staff perspective

Patient falls also have an impact on staff and health services. Health professionals often have a sense of dismay and failure when a patient is harmed in a fall, not least because they are aware of the possible outcomes for the patient and family.

Watch this short video clip to see health care staff talk about the impact of falls (1 min, 21 sec) or read the transcript below.

Learning from a patient story

Barbara’s mother, Betty, is a 93-year-old lady with a history of falls, and was admitted to hospital after a fall. Just as Betty was ready to go home from hospital, she fell in a cluttered toilet space which she was trying to negotiate with her walker.

Betty’s hospital stay was extended by several weeks and Barbara described the impacts of this fall for her mother and the family in an earlier video clip.

Watch this short video clip (5 mins, 6 sec), read the transcript below, or download a pdf to read or print here.

Published: 1 Mar 2022 Modified: 24 May 2022