RE: Care plan issue - Falls

[Brenda Chance]

We did this once before like I said previously.  Maintenance put a catch on the outside that could only be released from the outside.  They put it in a cumbersome place where the resident could not feel it or see it.  You need to assess her, though, and ensure she will not hurt herself trying to get the catch undone or crawling out from under the merrywalker.   Brenda W. Chance, RN, RAC-C MDS Coordinator     CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. -----Original Message----- From: Michelle Witges [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 9:59 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Care plan issue - Falls   I want her to ambulate but to do it safely.  As long as she is the Merry-Walker she does fine.  When she gets out of the Merry-Walker she falls.  She is able to open the Merry-Walker without difficulty she is even able to remove her personal alarm so that staff do not know that she is out of the Merry-Walker.  She works with restorative, frequent toileting, close observation, w/c with lap buddy.  We have not tried carpeting the bathroom but she uses other residents bathrooms as well.  Another thing we have not tried is fixing the Merry-Walker so she cannot open it.  How would you go about doing this?  We had maintenance checking into this but they have not figured anything out yet.  Her family is getting extremely upset with us because of her frequent falls not to mention the fact that we are upset also as we are out of idea's. Michelle ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 7:16 PM Subject: Re: Care plan issue - Falls   In a message dated 12/3/2003 1:50:20 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I have a lady who has had a CVA with paralysis on right side.  She is in a Merry Walker as she is very unsteady on her feet.  She also has a personal alarm on.  She is able to get around safely in the Merry Walker and the personal alarm is to notify if she tries to get up without assist.  Why is she in a Merri-walker if you don't want her to ambulate?