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Patients over age 65 who are alone in their hospital rooms may have a higher incidence of falling than patients who share a room. So says a retrospective study of 166 patients older than 65 completed at the University Medical Center of Princeton, Princeton, NJ, in May 2009.1
This finding is particularly important in light of a recent recommendation by the American Institute of Architects that private rooms become the industry standard for all new construction of acute care hospitals.2
Healthcare design researchers contend private rooms decrease infection, facilitate healthcare workers' efficiency, provide space for families to stay with loved ones, and offer greater privacy. In addition, they claim noise levels, a patient's likelihood of falling and medication errors are greatly reduced.3,4
Does a private room increase the chances your patient will fall?
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- Public Discussion (10)
Interesting debate. There are definately pros and cons to this. I guess we just need to make individual decisions in each case. (Hmm, "individual" -- isn't that what nursing is all about?)
#1 - Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:11 PM EDTit may be hypothesized that some patients may benefit from sharing a room so patients can assist each other and call for help as needed.
Huh? Now we are asking sick patients to assist each other?
In another part of the article they talk about how private rooms encourage family members to stay and they can assist/call for help. While it should still be the staff's responsibility, it seems more reasonable for family members to assist rather than fellow patients.
#2 - Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:13 PM EDTI had a heart attack and bypass surgery at 46 years of age. My insurance would not pay the $60/day extra for a private room. I was placed in a room with a 96 year old woman, who was blind, senile, and had to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes. She was tied to her bed, because she liked to wander. It was awful for her, and awful for me.
With all the wires, tubes, heart monitors and IV poles, etc., I was unable to go to the bathroom by myself, either. Every 15 minutes, my poor roommate started shouting Help Help Help. I could not possibly help take care of her-- I couldn't take care of myself. All I could do was push the call button to get the staff to help her. That is, once I figured out how to reach the call button. It was tied to the bed, 2' beyond my reach.
Of course, the nurses got tired of diddling with us, and I don't blame them, but there was absolutely nothing I could do. I needed rest, peace, and quiet. I could have recuperated better if I had been placed in a bed in an airport.
Three years earlier, I had my first and only child, with a very nice, hotel-like private room. This time, I was lumped in with the old people. What a SHOCK!
Let me tell you, folks, right now we need to be doing something about how hospitals treat old people. I never had an IV pole that rolled. Not once did they use a blood pressure cuff that worked the first time, NOR a thermometer that had a battery in it. The bed had been slept in for so long, that I lay in a trench, and didn't have the strength to turn over against the 'sides' of the trench. There was one chair for guests. The room was tiny, and I could reach out and touch my poor roommate.
For what we paid, it was not my husband's job to take care of me, it was the staff's. I mostly needed help getting to the bathroom, (for me, about once every 6 hours). Other than that, please just leave me alone to rest.
After 3 days of being in the same room as this poor woman, I was a nervous wreck. When I came home, my body 'started' every 15 minutes-- I had had no sleep for 3 days, which is what I needed more than anything. I didn't have the strength to fight, and was so, uh, medicated, that I couldn't have summoned a good temper tantrum if the Devil himself was jabbing me with a pitchfork-- likely the whole purpose. In the Old Folks ward, the motto is "Keep 'em quiet". Not that I didn't need pain medication, believe me, I did.
Private rooms are a must for each and every patient.
- 1 vote
#3 - Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:19 PM EDTYes, I agree. I worked in a hospital will all private rooms and it just seemed so much more healthy. I have also worked in hospitals with shared rooms. I personally did not see an increase in falls, etc. In fact, the private room hospital seemed to have fewer falls.
With everything that a patient has to go through, I feel a little privacy is more than necessary. I think it would add to dignity.
There is something called "ICU psychosis" that is a result of too much noise and too little sleep. I'm surprised that you didn't end up with that.
Dowser, how long ago was your heart attack? There have been a lot of legal changes surrounding restraints. If this was a recent incident, the hospital may have been in violation of rules around restraints. As for the rest of it, I hope you reported it to the administration.
- 1 vote
I probably did. When I came home, my mother was so nervous, she vacuumed, day and night. FINALLY, after she went home, I got some much needed rest. I had my heart attack Dec. 23, 2001, 8 years ago. I have told my husband that if he EVER allows my mother to 'help' me again, I will haunt him. :-)
I complained, but it did no good. When you are in the old folks ward, no one listens. Come to think of it, I was in the hospital for 6 weeks on complete bed rest to have my son-- they didn't listen then, either. I hope things have changed somewhat-- but here, I bet they still get you up at 4 am to check your weight. ;-)
Hmm, your hospital was breaking rules on restraint usage even back in 2001. I forget when the rule went into effect that, if you are restrained, you have to be in view of staff at all times, but it was pretty close to that time. However, we had to have pretty strict monitoring and documentation even back then. There was a time when we could restrain at any time for any reason, but those rules were changed long ago (and rightly so.)
It might be too late now, but if it had happened within the last year or so, I'd recommend contacting the state health department. (And, yes, they probably still wake people up in the middle of the night for vital signs, weights, meds, etc. Nothing like a good night sleep when you are sick, is there?)
Wow, that's not good... Glad to have the information, for the future!
I felt very sorry for the poor lady with me, but I was unable to care for her-- and, with it being over Christmas, they were short-staffed. It was horrible for both of us.
You should never have been put in a position that you felt you had to help her. That was WRONG. You are both lucky that the understaffing did not lead to death.
If they leave the window open and place your bed next to the window and turn out the lights chances are you might fall out of the window if you get out of the wrong side of the bed.
#4 - Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:09 PM EDTIn the old folks ward, there are no windows. It is very disorienting, in all honesty.
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