Posey Sitter Elite® - Manual (Page 3)


Sitter Elite 3
Before You Begin
The Posey Sitter Elite is an easy to use, restraint free addition to your fall management program.
The Sitter Elite provides an early warning when a patient attempts to rise from a bed, chair or
toilet. This system does not prevent falls or injury from falls and is not a substitute for patient
care, rounding and a comprehensive fall management protocol in your facility.
The Sitter Elite activates as the patient attempts to rise and removes pressure from the sensor
or disconnects the optional magnet. The Sitter Elite may be used with an optional cable to
connect to the nurse call system.
Indications for Use:
Persons who may benefit from the use of the Posey Sitter Elite include:
• Patients with diminished cognitive or mobility skills. For example, the frail, disabled, senile,
or those with neurologic deficits.
• Patients receiving medications that may cause disorientation, drowsiness, dizziness, or
f requent urination.
• Patients (new or existing) with a history of falls, or who are assessed to be at risk of falling
based on your selected fall-risk assessment.
• Patients who are restless or prone to get up in the middle of the night, e.g., due to
incontinence, or with nighttime voiding habits.
• Patients who require mandatory bed rest.
Contraindications:
NOTE: The Sitter Elite may not be suitable for all high fall-risk patients. See Posey catalog
for other options for such patients.
The Sitter Elite should NEVER be used as the only means of surveillance for:
• Agitated, combative or suicidal patients.
• Patients at extreme risk of a life-threatening fall (ex. patients with bone injuries or previous
hip fractures).
For these patients, Posey recommends use of the Sitter Elite along with a more intensive
fall management measure. See Posey catalog for options such as floor mats, and/or hip
protectors among other fall management products.
Response Policy:
Make sure your facility has a clearly defined policy for response to fall management and fall
alarms. This may include contacting the patient over the nurse call intercom system and telling
them to return to their bed or chair and waiting for assistance, and/or sending staff immediately
to the patient’s location for assistance. Be sure to place a flag or notification device on the
patient’s door, in their room, and next to the respective patient’s room light at the nurse’s station
to identify high fall risk patients and alert staff to respond quickly to fall alarm situations.
Facility fall management policy should address the frequency of visits by nursing staff to:
• Confirm patient is safe.
• Attend to patient needs for nutrition, toileting, exercise, and therapy.
• Check alarm function every time before leaving patient unattended (see pages 22-24).
If the alarm and/or sensor do not function properly, remove the alarm and sensor from service and
replace them with a properly functioning alarm and/or sensor. DO NOT use the alarm, sensor or
magnet if it does not activate each time weight is removed from the sensor, the chair belt sensor is
unfastened, or magnet is removed from face plate (see pages 22-24).