Safety and Emergency Procedures
Preventing falls and injury
Most falls happen during toileting and transfers. Keep the bed low and locked, the call light and personal items within reach, non-skid footwear on, the floor dry, and the lighting adequate. Answer call lights promptly. Never leave a resident alone on a toilet, in the shower, or on a bedpan. Check any ordered restraint or side rail per policy.
Emergency response
Fire: RACE - Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Evacuate - and PASS for the extinguisher: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. Evacuate horizontally and use the stairs, never the elevator. Choking: encourage coughing if the resident can breathe; if the airway is fully blocked, give abdominal thrusts to a conscious adult; if the resident becomes unresponsive, lower them to the floor and begin CPR if trained and the resident is not a DNR. Seizure: protect the head, clear hazards, do not restrain or put anything in the mouth, time the seizure, turn the resident to the side afterward, and report.
Traps
Leaving a resident alone in the bathroom. Using an elevator during a fire. Trying to restrain a seizing resident or placing an object in the mouth. Assuming a DNR means no care. Not knowing the facility's elopement and disaster plans.
Rule of thumb
In any emergency, call for help, stay with the resident, and do not move the person unless they are in immediate danger.