Did you know medical errors are the leading causes of injury, with more than half occurring in patient-care areas?
While long-term care facilities often put heavy emphasis on aesthetics to enhance the healing environment, there are also many effective measures that can significantly reduce the risk of caregiver, resident and visitor injuries simply by implementing the power of space.
Uniting by decentralizing
According to the American Journal of Nursing, 25.9 percent of nurses claimed their jobs were difficult due to lack of equipment and supplies. When necessary supplies, equipment and medications are not immediately available, it not only increases the time a caregiver must spend on his or her feet to retrieve the necessary materials, but also increases the chances for interruption. With every interruption bolstering the risk of procedural failures by 12.1 percent, more than three could trigger a major mishap.
To reduce this risk, the need for a combination of decentralized supplies, equipment and medications is essential. With essential patient care items in easily accessed locations throughout the facility, the extra chore of hunting and gathering is eliminated, allowing safer point-of-care delivery as well as more personal time with residents.
A decentralized design offers more than a reduction of medical errors: it offers the opportunity for a long-term healing environment to grow. Built-in structures used to create centralized work areas typically don't support or adapt to technological changes, creating a barrier for optimally safe residential care. By mapping out a flexible layout, and integrating modular furnishings, facilities are primed for technological adaptation to better meet the needs of those that work and live there.
Evidential safety
Slip-and-fall injuries are the number one source of injury in a healthcare setting, costing an estimated $25,000 a fall. While these numbers may be intimidating, targeting the design details can drive facilities to safer grounds.
One resolution to enable ambulation without risking injury is offering an open, accessible design with plenty of opportunities for respite. Frequent rest areas encourage residents to stay in motion, which ultimately will add to their health. To further reduce the opportunity for injury, equipment should have a defined and designed “home,” ideally within a decentralized area, to ensure immediate accessibility to aid in care and reduce opportunities for injury – for both the resident and caregiver.
Bathrooms are also a high-risk factor in terms of slip-and-fall potential, typically due to the slip hazard potential of the flooring – especially following a cleaning – as well as the travel distance often required. Designers advise healthcare facilities to place bathrooms at the head of the bed within a resident's room to reduce travel distance, with extra-wide doors installed for easy access, and grab bars leading into the bathroom for resident safety.
Preventative measures to keep infection at bay
Infections are the leading cause of mortality in nursing homes, responsible for nearly 400,000 deaths per year. While frequent hand-washing and room sanitations are steps in the right direction to reducing the spread of infection in long-term care facilities, the risk – and consequence – of an infection requires a stronger (and more reliable) response.
With germs revealing the ability to survive on surfaces for month, cleanliness is a top priority for long-term care facilities. However, more often than not, sanitization is not effective due to built-in structures that are not easily cleanable. Modular, movable and/or elevated furnishings, however, allow housekeeping to easily move furniture to access floors for cleaning. Additionally, with special finishes or overlapping tiles, select furnishings often minimize seams and gaps – eliminating the area where germs could potentially multiply.
Beyond surface risk factors, facilities should be aware of other infection perils by examining the details. Installation, removal and wall repair of utilities, for example, could introduce unwanted germs and dust, putting caregivers, residents and visitors at risk. Ineffective removal of trash receptacles could also raise a red flag for germ transmission. Additionally, keeping equipment in a secured, decentralized area as opposed to transporting items throughout a facility not only reduces time spent on unnecessary transport, but also cuts the spread of pathogens that might be living on that equipment.
Safeguard your well-being
Designing a safer long-term care facility does not just improve one's physical security; it improves one's well-being as well. A decentralized area for employees closer to their work, for instance, allows personalized work space that is closer to the care they provide, which in turn allows more time with residents. The result is a rewarding benefit for both parties.
To that point, more respite areas to encourage residents to walk in the facility not only improves their health and gives them a sense of personal control, but also creates a welcoming surrounding for residents to receive visitors. Other uplifting design elements, such as access to daylight and noise-reducing finishes to improve sleep, further elevates residential comfort.
As long-term care continues to evolve, it is clear a little space and flexibility goes a long way in ensuring resident and caregiver needs are met, both now and in the future. With a layout that promotes human connection through accessibility, integrates technological advancements and protects against injury risks, your facility will not only feel safe; it will feel like home for employees and residents.
Kerrie Cardon, RN, AIA, ACHA is a healthcare consultant at Herman Miller Healthcare.