New York – U.S. government researchers say elderly people are suffering brain injuries from falls at what appear to be an unprecedented rate.
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The reason for the increase isn’t certain, according to the new report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But one likely factor is that a growing number of elderly people are living at home and taking repeated tumbles.
Whatever the cause, the numbers are striking: One in every 45 Americans 75 and older suffered brain injuries that resulted in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or deaths in 2013. The rate for that age group jumped 76 percent from 2007. The rate of these injuries for people of all ages rose about 50 percent over that time, hitting a record level.
I worked in hospitals for years. The liberals have re-defined bed rails as sometimes used as a type of “patient restraints”. Although the law does allow bed rail use, it is only if the hospital gets all people on the patient’s case to agree that it is indicated. In practice, I have witnessed that they often do not do this even in clear cases of need, in fear of violating the patients’ rights to not be “restrained”.
I have personally seen the same patient fall repeatedly out of bed sustaining multiple large bruises. I was told by hospital staff whom I asked that they did not raise his bed rails so as not to “restrain” him.
As per the article above, “The reason for the increase (of falls) isn’t certain, according to …” the CDC.
Verbatim quote from the FDA.gov website:
“In recent years, the health care community has recognized that physically restraining patients can be dangerous. Although not indicated for this use, bed rails are sometimes used as restraints. Regulatory agencies, health care organizations, product manufacturers and advocacy groups encourage hospitals, nursing homes and home care providers to assess patients’ needs and to provide safe care without restraints.”
Our local hospitals all use bed alarms as well as side rails. They don’t use posey restraints or tie patients wrists *to* the bedrails. That is how using bedrails as a *part* of a restraint system is meant- as the anchor point for tying someone down.