Definition of a Fall in writing

[Corey Ali]

Some time ago, we had a discussion with a number of references, regarding that a fall was a nondeliberate change from one surface to another.  I do have the CMS RAI manual definition for my facility, but the DON and unit managers still insist that if a patient falls from a bed to a falls mat on the floor next to a bed, that it is not a fall, and that no record of that event be done in an Accident & Incident report, etc.  It is not covered on the 24 hour sheet, and almost never in the nursing notes.    Could someone point me to some documentation indicating that a fall from the bed to a matt next to a bed should be coded as a fall?   Thank, Corey