CMS introduced penalties for patient falls in 2008. This policy creates “a climate of fear of falling” in which nurses worry they’ll be blamed if a patient falls during their shift, according to Kenneth Covinsky, MD, a geriatrician and researcher at the University of California at San Francisco.
These fears have driven many hospitals to drastically limit elderly patients’ mobility, including those who may benefit from the physical activity. Dr. Covinsky said patients who are bedbound during their hospital stay often leave weaker than when they were admitted, thereby putting them more at risk of falls. To address this issue, many organizations nationwide are rolling out initiatives to promote mobility in elderly hospital patients.
CMS declined to provide a direct answer as to whether its readmission program has hindered patient mobility, according to The Post and KHN.
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