What combination of strategies best reduces patient falls on a medical unit?

• A. Hourly rounding, bed alarms, non-slip footwear, clear call-light access, and environmental safety checks.
• B. Implement only bed alarms and call light.
• C. Remove hourly rounding to maximize time.
• D. Increase room clutter to deter walking.

Answer: (A)

A multifactorial approach is most effective for reducing falls because it tackles the different reasons patients fall. Hourly rounding proactively checks on patients’ needs—pain, toileting, mobility, and comfort—so help is provided before risky attempts to move occur. Bed alarms alert staff promptly when someone tries to get out of bed without assistance, enabling quick support. Non-slip footwear reduces the chance of slips during ambulation or transfers. Clear access to a call light makes it easy for patients to request help when they need it, preventing hazardous attempts to move unsupervised. Environmental safety checks identify and remove hazards like wet floors, cords, or clutter, which are common fall triggers.

Relying only on bed alarms and a call light misses the proactive care and hazard control that also prevent falls. Removing hourly rounding eliminates routine safety checks and increases opportunities for unsafe movement. Increasing room clutter creates obvious trip hazards, raising fall risk. Together, the listed strategies address multiple risk factors at once, making it the best choice.