Reader Questions: Falls are an RM’s business, not the custodial staff’s
Reader Questions: Falls are an RM’s business, not the custodial staff’s
Question: How much should our risk management department take responsibility for preventing slips and falls in the facility, as opposed to letting environmental services handle that issue? I know we’re responsible for any resulting litigation, but shouldn’t prevention really be their job, not mine?
Answer: You may not be responsible for cleaning up the wet floors and repairing the broken door frames, but the ultimate responsibility for preventing slips and falls should rest with your department, says Marva West Tan, RN, ARM, FASHRM, a risk management consultant in Marietta, GA.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all, or even most, slips and falls can be attributed to poor housekeeping. Slips and falls can be related to clinical as well as environmental factors. Tan says slips and falls are typically one of the most frequent causes of general and professional liability claims within an institution, as well as a factor in significant morbidity and mortality in older patients, so that means they fall squarely within the risk manager’s purview.
"Even though these claims are generally not of a high severity, slip/fall prevention should have high priority in your institutional patient safety program," she says. "For a comprehensive fall prevention program, risk management should partner with nursing, rehab, pharmacy, and environmental services, as each service has expertise and a role to play in reducing unexpected incidents and injuries."
Question: How much should our risk management department take responsibility for preventing slips and falls in the facility, as opposed to letting environmental services handle that issue? I know were responsible for any resulting litigation, but shouldnt prevention really be their job, not mine?Subscribe Now for Access
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