Fall Prevention: Guidance on Utilization of Low Beds and Floor Mats

Course overview

Up to one-half of all falls in hospitals and long-term care facilities involve falling from bed. To avoid bed falls, the usual fall preventive protocol is to maintain patient beds in the low position. For some patients, the low position may not be the safest position. Some individuals may require assistance either to get out of bed, or into bed, or require the bed to be slightly higher than the low setting. The purpose of this course is to provide acute care hospital and nursing home staff with practical guidance on the utilization of low beds and floor mats in helping to prevent falls and injurious falls from bed. The term patient is used to refer to both acute hospital patients and long-term care residents.