A proactive project to enhance out-patient gym safety in fall prevention aspect

Abstract Description

Authors (including presenting author) :

Yuen WY(1)

Affiliation :

(1)Occupational Therapy Department, Caritas Medical Centre

Introduction :

There were slip and fell incident in out-patients and staff in the hospital this year, which fostered this project. Out-patients are always being regarded as less frail than in-patients and day-patients, and are often being consider in a lower priority in fall prevention program. However, out-patients may also have the intrinsic fall risk factors like fair hand function (easily drop small objects and difficult to pick up), poor vision, hemispatial neglect, etc. Therefore, if a "zero fall" was targeted, the out-patient gym safety should not be neglected. Indeed, there is daily equipment checking to ensure basic gym safety. However, with the high flow of out-patients, safety hazards might be generated during patients’ participation in gym session.

Objectives :

To enhance fall prevention in out-patient gym session by finding out the safety hazards and have a proactive action to remove or reduce it.

Methodology :

A safety check was done during the gym session with a high flow of out-patients getting in and out. A common fall risk factor was identified in several different training tools. These tools have small components designed for patients to manipulate, however, they would disperse across the floor and are difficult to be visualized once they dropped. Adaptations were done accordingly with different principles: First, in order to reduce the chance of dropping of small objects, a physical block was fabricated to act as a shield. Second, in order to increase the visibility of small objects, contrast-color strips were added to those objects with a similar color to the floor. Thirdly, in order to prevent the dropped objects to disperse, non-slip mat was used applied underneath the tools. It could absorb the energy and reduce the re-bounding ability. Besides, some of the small objects were wrapped together to enlarge the size and roughen the surface.

Result & Outcome :

Fall risk factor was identified and adaptations were done. A safety check was done again and no further safety hazard identified. The project was completed in June 2018, afterward, there is no fall or nearly fall incident reported in the out-patient gym area.