Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal reports that a burst of music comes through the facilities' loudspeakers every two hours, prompting health workers to stop what they're doing and move patients unable to move themselves. Ambulatory patients also use the music as a reminder to change their positions.
The 10 participating nursing homes are owned by Signature HealthCare and are in Augusta, Bedford, Beattyville, Lexington, Louisville and Prestonsburg.
"Repositioning people is not something new; what's new is the prompt," said Pam Larimore-Skinner, director of nursing at Signature HealthCare of Trimble County. "I think it makes people more conscious of the two hours because time can get away from you."
The experiment is funded by a $300,000 grant given to the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study is to analyze if the audio reminders can reduce the number of bed sores, which damage skin and can lead to serious infection. So far, nursing home employees have noted improvement. (Read more)
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