Fall prevention programme for postoperative older adults at a private hospital

Objectives.This study aimed to implement a fall prevention intervention for postoperative older adults at a private hospital in Hong Kong. Methods.A Plan-Do-Study-Act approach was used to develop and implement a fall prevention intervention.Interventions (including protocol-based use of fall alarm pads (FAP), staff training, patient and caregiver education, and shared decision-making) were implemented for postoperative patients aged >70 years or those aged 65 years with a preoperative Morse Fall Scale score of 45 or prescribed 7 oral medications.The numbers of fall incidents among the targeted patients in surgical wards before and after intervention were compared.Additionally, qualitative analysis of frontline nurses' perceptions of FAP use and effectiveness in preventing patient falls was conducted before intervention and 1 month after intervention.Patient satisfaction and feedback from patients and caregivers were assessed after 2 days of FAP use. Results.The fall prevention intervention programme received mixed feedback regarding continuation and effectiveness of routine application of FAPs but achieved high adherence among patients and caregivers.Of 122 patients responded, 119 were satisfied or very satisfied with the FAP application.Frontline staff noted increased awareness of fall prevention strategies and greater confidence in engaging patients effectively.However, many preferred selective rather than routine use of FAPs. Conclusions.Our fall prevention programme for postoperative older adults highlights the integration of protocol-based interventions with active stakeholder engagement.The programme improved patient safety and satisfaction.