by Karen Blum
It’s no surprise that hospitalized patients are at an increased risk of falls. They’re in unfamiliar surroundings and may be taking new medications with side effects. And many experience decreased activity while recovering from various illnesses or surgeries. What may be surprising are the numbers: Each year, an estimated 700,000 to one million people fall in hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Falls can cause additional medical problems and more medical bills. In an effort to monitor patients at a high risk for falls, some hospitals have employed patient sitters — non-clinical staff who are assigned to provide in-room monitoring. Sitters may be trained to calm patients who are disoriented or encourage them to stay in bed while they call for a nurse or other caregiver. But this is a high-intensity solution, and it doesn’t come cheap. One community hospital in …