In one large UK hospital trust, data from the electronic incident reporting system were studied to determine the number of falls within one division taking place while patients were under enhanced supervision. This supervision was commonly carried out by registered nurses or healthcare assistants. It was noted that, despite increased supervision, patients were still falling and when they did the degree of harm they suffered was often greater than for those patients not under supervision. It was also noted that more male patients fell under supervision than female patients, although the reasons for this were not clear, suggesting an area for further research. A large number of patients fell while in the bathroom, where they were often left alone for periods of time. This shows an increasing need to find a balance between maintaining patient dignity and ensuring patient safety.
Keywords: Care of older adults; Enhanced supervision; Falls; Incident reporting; Patient safety.