Fall management is a critical area for any healthcare facility that prioritizes the well-being of its patients and staff, demanding constant vigilance and innovation. While many strategies to curb fall risks exist, egress height management emerges as a pivotal tool that many clinical leaders often fail to consider. By considering the effects of egress height management, healthcare leaders can better mitigate fall risks and foster a safer healthcare environment.
Understanding Egress Height Management
Egress height management is a sophisticated fall risk management approach aimed at ensuring patient safety when entering or exiting a bed. An egress height that is high enough is essential for reducing a patient’s need to exert extra effort to raise themselves out of bed. However, too high an egress height will cause forward motion as a patient tries to reach the floor with their feet, increasing the risk of falls. Achieving the happy medium each time the patient exits their bed is essential for patient safety and mobility.
Leveraging egress height management technologies allows clinicians to adjust bed height to meet each individual patient’s needs. By providing an optimal egress height, clinicians help patients transfer safely and comfortably while minimizing the effort needed by nursing staff and significantly reducing the likelihood of falls.
Customization for Safe Patient Egress
Patients come in many shapes and sizes; however, patient egress often fails to take their individual characteristics into consideration. Egress height management addresses this issue, providing the ability to offer personalized care during transfers.
Each patient’s needs are unique, and bed height customization allows these unique needs to be met. This not only enhances the safety of patient transfers but also instills a sense of dignity and respect for the patient’s individual needs. Instead of resorting to an average egress height, clinicians should customize the height of the bed during egress for each patient. This fosters a more secure and personalized care environment.
Auto-Transfer Height Feature
Many patient beds leave the correct egress height to the clinician during each and every transfer. Some modern patient beds, however, include a customizable auto-transfer height feature. This feature “remembers” previously set egress heights, enabling the correct height to be easily reproduced.
This intelligent feature automatically adjusts the bed to the ideal egress height, relieving healthcare staff from extra manual effort and ensuring a swift, efficient, and safe transfer process. It’s a small but significant step in streamlining patient care, reducing physical strain on staff, and minimizing fall risks.
Benefits for Staff and Patients
There are several benefits of a customizable auto-transfer height feature for egress height management. These include:
- Improved mobility – Using the correct egress height each time promotes and facilitates patient mobility.
- Improved adherence to best practices – A one-touch setting for the correct egress height facilitates staff adherence to best egress practices.
- Reduced fall risk – Consistently using the correct egress height reduces the risk of poor transfer mechanics, reducing the risk of falls.
- Improved clinician workflow – The one-touch setting of the auto-transfer height feature reduces cognitive strain and task fatigue for clinicians.
The dual benefit to staff and patients makes the auto-transfer height feature valuable to any clinical facility.
The Joerns Advantage: EasyCare and UltraCare Beds
At Joerns, we are committed to simplifying care and empowering lives. Our EasyCare and UltraCare beds now come equipped with the customizable auto-transfer height feature as a standard feature. Facilities committed to their patients’ safety and their staff’s well-being will find it easier to provide effective egress height management resources with our innovative patient beds.
With state-of-the-art features and a steadfast commitment to quality, Joerns’s beds represent the convergence of comfort, safety, and technology. Investing in the right equipment will help your facility achieve the right outcome.
Discover how the EasyCare and UltraCare beds can redefine your care standards and significantly contribute to your fall management strategies. Contact one of Joerns’s representatives today to learn more about the difference our beds offer for your staff and patients.
