Most nursing homes require a patient to be “sitter-free” for 24 hours before admitting them from the hospital. This can be a challenge for acute care hospitals that have patients with dementia, and can hold up patient discharges from these busy units.
One of the teams participating in our FFC study came up with a great solution. Their nursing team takes turns spending 2-hour shifts with patients who are awaiting discharge but have needed a sitter. During their 2-hour turns, the nurses occupy the patients’ time with activities and getting them walking! The nurses loved it, as it gave them a 2-hour break from other duties, and the patients benefit by having a chance to walk and be mobile rather than sit in bed or be restrained. The extra mobility time helps them prepare to go the nursing home, and can decrease their fall risk once they are there. We encourage you to give this a try!
Also, we are delighted to announce our FFC Self-Feeding Holiday Contest Winner! Congratulations to the 7th floor at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, and a special shout-out to Rachel Harding, RN, the floor’s FFC champion!!! The team on the 7th floor used function focused care interventions to optimize self-feeding for more than 30 patients over the past 2 months. Great job, and keep up the terrific work!
Function Focused Care 