Posey KeepSafe® Essential - Manual (Page 3)

KeepSafe ® Essential 3
Before You Begin
The Posey KeepSafe Essential is an easy to use, restraint free addition to your fall management program.
The KeepSafe Essential provides an early warning when a patient attempts to rise from a bed, chair or
toilet. This system does not prevent falls or injury from falls and is not a substitute for patient care,
rounding and a comprehensive fall management protocol in your facility.
The KeepSafe Essential consists of an alarm with an adjustable cord and magnet and activates as the
patient attempts to rise and disconnects the magnet.
Indications for Use:
Persons who may benefit from the use of the Posey KeepSafe Essential include:
• Patients with diminished cognitive or mobility skills. For example, the frail, disabled, senile, or those
with neurologic deficits.
• Patients receiving medications that may cause disorientation, drowsiness, dizziness, or f requent
urination.
• Patients (new or existing) with a history of falls, or who are assessed to be at risk of falling based on
your selected fall-risk assessment.
• Patients who are restless or prone to get up in the middle of the night, e.g., due to incontinence, or
with nighttime voiding habits.
• Patients who require mandatory bed rest.
Contraindications:
NOTE: The KeepSafe Essential may not be suitable for all high fall-risk patients. See Posey catalog for
other options for such patients.
The KeepSafe Essential should
NEVER be used as the only means of surveillance for:
• Agitated, combative or suicidal patients.
• Patients at extreme risk of a life-threatening fall (ex. patients with bone injuries or previous hip fractures).
For these patients, Posey recommends use of the KeepSafe Essential along with a more intensive fall
management measure. See Posey catalog for options such as floor mats, and/or hip protectors among
other fall management products.
Response Policy:
Make sure your facility has a clearly defined policy for response to fall management and fall alarms. This
may include contacting the patient over the nurse call intercom system and telling them to return to their
bed or chair and waiting for assistance, and/or sending staff immediately to the patient’s location for
assistance. Be sure to place a flag or notification device on the patient’s door, in their room, and next to
the respective patient’s room light at the nurse’s station to identify high fall risk patients and alert staff to
respond quickly to fall alarm situations.
Facility fall management policy should address the frequency of visits by nursing staff to:
• Confirm patient is safe.
• Attend to patient needs for nutrition, toileting, exercise, and therapy.
• Check alarm function every time before leaving patient unattended (see pages 17-18).
If the alarm does not function properly, remove the alarm from service and replace it with a properly functioning alarm.
dO nOT use the alarm or magnet if it does not activate each time magnet is removed from face plate (see pages 17-18).