Credit: Burton Mail

A hospital in Burton is providing its patients with luminous Zimmer frames, as well as glowing footprints and door frames, to help them find their way around the hospital at night and reduce the number of falls.

The “Light up the Night” project was created following data which revealed that Ward 4 at Queen’s Hospital in Burton had the highest number of falls, with most of them occurring at night while the patients tried to find the toilet.

Glow-in-the-dark panels have been stuck on Zimmer frames, and other mobility aids, as the staff believe this will help patients with restricted mobility navigate the unfamiliar hospital surroundings.

The floor heading to the toilets have also had the glow-in-the-dark footprints added to them, which lead patients from their bed through the glowing door frames. The light switches are also luminous and the toilets are equipped with motion sensors which light up as a patient enters the cubicle.

Quality Support Nurse Carla Golding, who introduced the project as part of a Royal College of Nursing Leadership Programme, told the Burton Mail: “This is a simple idea but has already worked really well. Patients have really engaged with the concept.

“Many of our patients are independent and want to make their own way to the toilet rather than call the nursing staff to assist them. The lights and aids are a way of helping them without disturbing other patients.

“I am thankful to the hospitals’ charity for funding this project.”

Chris Maddox, Community Partnerships and Charities Manager, added: “This is exactly the type of idea that the charity are keen to support.

“The small investment has made a positive impact for our patients on Ward 4 and staff have really embraced the idea supporting patients to decorate their mobility aids.”

Introduced in May, the project’s effectiveness in reducing falls is currently being reviewed.

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