We spoke with people who were recovering from a fall and a broken bone, and here is what they had to say about PRISM ….
“I wish I had someone in my life like that right now I felt there was not enough information given to me. I broke my hip, and just got over that and had another fall. I then broke my back in four places, but during all that time, no one said let’s look at your medication. It was at that point they realized how bad my osteoporosis was. I would like to have someone look at my medications and resolve that issue.”
“… the connection with the families is integral … including loved ones in the care planning.”
“… if you are able to pick up the phone and somebody’s there to listen and to give you advice and help you out after rehab, it is needed.”
“You talk by Zoom, you get your list of medications, you go over it, and you know exactly what they are talking about. This is especially true if they are talking to an elderly person who does not understand but has their caregiver with them to help explain it. It’s like having a nurse on your team to explain why I need this or why I am doing this. I think that helps!“
We also spoke with staff members in skilled nursing facilities, and they saw the benefits of medication changes ….
“There was a resident that … was having some falls, and at one point really wasn’t ambulating that much …. And they did reduce the patient’s meds, and she is ambulating pretty much on her own”
“I noticed her increasing sleepiness, and I was afraid it was the pain medicine, and said, can we just gently pull back on it. And we did.”
Who to contact with questions:
Reach out to your PRISM Nurse, or email us at PRISMinfo@dm.duke.edu
