Review commends older patient care

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Tauranga Hospital's care of patients who are prone to falling has been endorsed in a review ordered by the district's coroner.

The review, carried out by an independent nursing consultant, was requested by coroner Michael Cooney after an elderly patient fell at the hospital in February and died from head injuries.

Dorothy Madge McVicker, aged 79, was walking to the toilet when she accidentally fell from her walking frame.

Her family questioned why her walking frame was left nearby when nursing staff knew she required close supervision and why the cot rails on the side of her bed were left down, enabling her to get out.

However, details of the review, which were partly released by Pacific Health yesterday, said Mrs McVicker was receiving appropriate care at the time of the accident and she was in the high-risk category for potential falls.

Nursing staff believed she was making good progress with her mobilisation and she was being encouraged to move about in preparation for discharge.

While falls among frail and elderly patients continued to be a problem for hospitals, Pacific Health said the review commended Tauranga Hospital's efforts to reduce the potential for falls by monitoring patients' mobility and assessing their level of risk.

Pacific Health spokesman Frank Begley said the full review would not be released but some changes had been suggested such as replacing the hospital's striped carpet with a plainer pattern.

"The carpet has a very strong design which can be very distracting. If you're elderly and confused that probably doesn't help the situation," Mr Begley said.

The coroner could not be contacted yesterday for comment on the review or whether any further action would be taken over Mrs McVicker's death.