Dear sasquatch77-ga;
We meet again?and thank again you for allowing me an opportunity to
answer another one of your interesting questions.
People are very craft and creative. As you might imagine, one's
ability to take his own life is limited only by his creativity,
deterimination and desperation, therefore there are no absolute
guidelines to prevent it entirely. Here are some valuable links to
sources where these procedures are discussed extensively. I?ll post
excerpts to give you an idea of what kinds of actions are commonly
taken to ?suicide proof? an institution:
This article in particular is quite meticulous in it?s description of
suicide proofing methods. Here is a brief excerpt:
?The physical environment of the psychiatric ward typically includes
safety design features such as unbreakable mirrors, unbreakable
windows with limited ability to open, and protuberances (eg, shower
rods) that give way at low weight loads. Nonetheless, no unit is
?suicide proof.?(9) Suicidal patients can and do examine the layout of
a psychiatric ward to assess the lethal means that may be available to
them, and they often perceive environmental safeguards as evidence of
caring on the part of the staff.(9) As new medical/surgical facilities
are constructed, they should be designed as suicide resistant. We also
propose that, just as signs such as ?Fall Risk? or ?Seizure
Precautions? are posted in and outside patient rooms, signs saying
?Continuous Behavioral Observation? should be posted for suicidal
patients. These signs would alert any member of the treatment team
(including ancillary staff, such as the transport person in this
case), that the patient should never be unaccompanied. Of course,
training for all staff (including nonclinical personnel) regarding
what ?Continuous Observation? means should be undertaken.?
WEB M&M
http://www.webmm.ahrq.gov/cases.aspx?ic=20
Here is brief except from another very informative article from
HospitalConnect.com :
?Some ceiling applications/solutions:
Rivet a metal lay-in ceiling system into place.
Install a poured-in-place concrete or other homogenous ceiling.
If the existing ceiling system poses a hazard, such as an acoustical
lay-in system, make sure that housekeeping or other staff inspects it
daily (or more often, depending on the patient population) and repairs
any conditions immediately.
Sprinkler heads and sturdy curtain rods that are designed so that rope
or some other fabric can be tied to them are serious risks. Eliminate
them, and also remove Venetian blinds and drapery cords.
Other precautions: Remove all unnecessary door-closing hardware with
the exception of fire egress doors, which ideally will be located in
view of the nurse stations or staff workstations.
Mount towel racks low enough on the toilet partitions so that patients
cannot hang themselves. Mount grab bars low and on a steep slope so
they can't be used as hanging devices.
Remove most showerheads, and mount spigot control knobs very low.
Push-button shower controls are recommended. Patient closets should be
constructed using a coat rod detail that precludes the tying of any
material to the rod for the intention of hanging, as should toilet
partitioning for group toilets.?
SUICIDE WATCH: DESIGN YOUR FACILITY TO PROTECT TROUBLED PATIENTS FROM SELF-HARM
By Constance Nestor
http://www.hospitalconnect.com/jsp/article.jsp?dcrpath=AHA/NewsStory_Article/data/HFMMAGAZINE422&domain=HFMMAGAZINE
I believe these two articles will explain all of the ?nut and bolts?
issues for you very well. As for the methods of preventing suicide,
the trick seems to be adequate constant observation. This entails much
more than just monitoring a suicidal patient. In this article numerous
productive measures are examined and you get patient perspectives on
how each one worked. These methods used by observing personnel to help
distract or coach the suicidal patient are practiced in many
facilities around the country. The article discusses the ?do?s and
don?t?s? of suicide prevention techniques. Here are some topics
discussed:
Observer interventions
Optimism
Acknowledgment
Emotional support
Protection
Nontherapeutic observer interventions
Passage of time
SUICIDAL INPATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THERAPEUTIC AND NONTHERAPEUTIC
ASPECTS OF CONSTANT OBSERVATION
http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/50/8/1066
I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher
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