Preferred Health Care promotes interprofessional approach at national conference
Pilot project at St. George prevents falls
When looking for ways to prevent and manage falls in long-term care, Preferred Health Care Services recommends an interprofessional approach.
This was the message delivered during a recent panel presentation hosted by Preferred Health Care Services, in collaboration with Shoppers HomeHealthCare and Leisureworld Caregiving Centres at the Canadian Seating and Mobility Conference in Toronto.
On the Move Again: Falls Management, Restraint Minimization emphasized the effectiveness of interprofessional practice, which encourages collaboration and communication among different health-care disciplines to achieve the best results for residents.
Anita Miller, registered nurse (RN) and Preferred Health staff educator, says interprofessional practice is endorsed by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) as a best practice and is being used by Preferred Health to enhance their Rising Stars, a falls management program used in Leisureworld homes.
Leisureworld Caregiving Centre St. George was the case example used at the conference to highlight the benefits of the program.
At the Toronto long-term care home, Preferred Health worked with staff members to create an interprofessional team to reduce falls and minimize restraints. The team was composed of staff members from different departments including senior administration, nursing and physiotherapy as well as community partners such as pharmacists, medical equipment suppliers and the regional psycho-geriatric team.
“With the interprofessional approach those members are coming together, sharing their expertise to make certain that the resident gets the best care,” explains Miller. “(The team is) looking at each individual resident and deciding who from each group is best to be involved in the decision-making.”
Each team member brings different strengths and skills to the group, which results in better outcomes for residents, according to Miller.
For instance, consulting with a pharmacist on the combination of resident’s prescriptions helped registered nurse Robert Scott realize certain medication interacted adversely with others, causing muscle fatigue, drowsiness or dizziness.
Prior to adopting the interprofessional team, Scott says he wouldn’t have thought to have consulted with a pharmacist when looking to prevent falls. The new approach has helped him learn from others, which he says ultimately improves care for people living in the home.
“The biggest benefit has been to our residents,” says Scott, who is a falls restraint minimization champion. “We had great success in reducing our falls.”
Miller says results from St. George confirmed the practice is a worthwhile endeavor for any long-term care home wanting to find a new approach to manage and prevent falls.
Preferred Health Care will be working with other Leisureworld homes to help them adopt similar interprofessional practices.
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