Impact of Bed Alarm Removal and Implementation of Hourly Rounding to Reduce Falls

Audible pressure bed and chair alarms in the post-acute and long-term setting (PA/LTC) have proven to be an ineffective intervention for reducing falls and in fact have met criteria as a physical restraint according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A.G. Rhodes Health and Rehab facility (AGR) is a 150-bed non-profit nursing organization situated in Atlanta, Georgia, committed to fall prevention. As a 2-pronged approach, AGR eliminated all pressure alarms from its facility and implemented a patient-centered hourly rounding policy among nursing staff.