Janine GriffithsHospital staff in East Leeds have been given targeted training to help prevent avoidable falls and keep patients safer during their care.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been raising awareness about common fall risks and how clinical teams can help reduce them.
The work is relevant to patients across Leeds who receive care through the Trust.
Yasmin Walsh, Senior Sister and Falls Prevention Lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “We take falls prevention extremely seriously and are committed to doing everything we can to keep our patients safe.”
She said the Trust’s efforts to prevent avoidable falls continue throughout the year.
Walsh added: “It was fantastic to see colleagues sharing learning and putting that knowledge into practice to improve patient care.”
The risk of falling increases with age and can lead to serious harm and injury among older adults.
Everyday factors can increase the risk, including unsuitable shoes, getting out of bed, or standing up too quickly.
Clinical teams received education and training designed to improve their understanding of falls and the steps they can take to prevent them.
Staff also used specialist goggles borrowed from the hospital eye clinic, which mimic visual impairments experienced by some patients.
The exercise gave staff first-hand experience of these challenges and helped them understand how they can better support patients.
Training also covered deconditioning, when muscles can weaken following a period of inactivity in a hospital bed.
This can lead to longer recovery times and increase the risk of a patient falling.
The Trust plans to continue developing new ideas and exploring ways to improve the support available to patients.
Walsh said: “Ultimately, this is about helping every patient stay as safe and well as possible while they are in our care.”
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides local hospital services for Leeds alongside specialist services for communities across Yorkshire and the Humber and beyond.
It employs around 22,000 staff and operates seven hospitals across five sites.
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