The basic problems of bed-fence-covers in hospitals for preventing accidents based on the investigation into the actual conditions: for developing the safer bed-fence-cover for elderly patients.

The basic problems of bed-fence-covers in hospitals were listed for preventing relevant accidents based on the investigation into actual conditions in a hospital in Kawasaki City. There were many elderly aged patients with dementia, higher brain dysfunction or psychosis in the hospital. They sometimes fell into the gaps of bed-fences, resulting in serious accidents. It was due not only to the structure of the bed-fences, but also to the characteristics of patients. Therefore the authors listed up the problems concerning the accidents to recognize them; (i) as physical conditions, (1) they could not move by themselves because of paralysis or decrease of fitness, (2) they could not feel when they were pinched by the gaps because of decrease of sense, (3) they moved irregularly or violently without their intention, and (ii) as mental conditions, (1) they took dangerous behaviors because of dementias, (2) they could not control their behaviors because of higher brain dysfunctions, (3) they could not control their feelings and moved violently because of mental disorders. The authors intend to develop safer bed-fence-covers to prevent these accidents for the elderly patients.

A trial product of a new safety belt for a wheelchair user and its evaluation based on the actual investigation of fall accidents related to wheelchairs in a hospital.

Old-aged patients, especially when they cannot keep stable sitting postures on wheelchairs, may get hurts seriously by falls. Preventing fall accidents is one of the most important subjects for keeping ADL of old-aged persons. We investigated the fall accidents related to from wheelchairs that occurred in a hospital (Asao General Hospital of Rehabilitation), and tried to make a new type of safety belts for old-aged wheelchair users based on the investigation. The results of trials using the product was evaluated by the care givers. The number of fall accidents in the hospital amounted to 226 cases within a year. It is noticed that the patients removed their belts by themselves intentionally or unintentionally, which is the most important point of the accidents. The evaluators of new belts were 91 care givers. The evaluation items were (1) the convenience for caregivers to fasten and remove the belts, (2) the ability of holding the patient on the wheelchair, (3) the safeness to prevent the fall from wheelchair (including the disability of removing a belt by the user), (4) the appearance when the usually used belts and the new belts were used, and only for the new belts, (5) the hygienic aspect and (6) the utility of the pocket. The new belts got better marks than the usually used belts. We intend to further improve the trial product (new belt) to be safer, more effective and more comfortable, based on the evaluation.