There have been no falls among patients with dementia at Whanganui Hospital since 2014, thanks to a programme called Care with Dignity.
The programme has seen far-reaching benefits to patients, family members and staff in the two and a half years since it was introduced.
It's been so successful thattwo senior nurses from the Whanganui District Health Board were invited by the Health Safety and Quality Commission to present a workshop about the programme to 400 medical staff from throughout the country.
The programme specifically aims to improve care for patients with cognitive impairment, and helps prevent them from falling.
Medical Ward clinical nurse manager Colleen Hill and Medical Services nurse manager Wendy Stanbrook-Mason presented the programme to the April Falls seminar recently, giving examples of how the programme worked.
"Colleen talked about real patient stories and I discussed the evidence and what our collected information told us," Mrs Stanbrook-Mason said.
"We explained how, by having our health care assistants provide close care for cognitively impaired patients, the Medical Ward has not had one fall with harm in this very vulnerable patient group since late 2014 when Care with Dignity was introduced."
Mrs Stanbrook-Mason said a fall can often lead to a fracture, which has a devastating impact on a patient and their family. A fracture can also result in a three-week hospital stay at a cost $47,000.
"And if it's a hip fracture with complications and discharge to an aged residential care facility, the costs can be as much as costs $135,000.
"Money aside, it's also about preserving a person's quality of life. We know that people with cognitive impairment are vulnerable and more likley to have a fall. In the UK it's been shown that a patient with dementia is three times more likely to have fall that results in a fracture than someone who is cognitively well.
"An added benefit of providing close care is that the patients feel safer which decreases the need for medication often used to calm a patient who becomes aggressive as a result of their confusion which patients with cognitive impairment do experience," Mrs Stanbrooke said.
