Incident Identification and Notifications in Aging Services

When an incident occurs in aging services, the very first steps taken—including identifying the incident, caring for the people affected, making an initial determination of severity, and conducting internal and external notifications—are critical. But incident management plans often do not adequately account for these steps and the myriad challenges that can arise in both routine and unusual circumstances.

For example, failure to promptly identify that an incident has happened and notify appropriate people, internally and externally, may exacerbate harm to individuals or damage to objects or property affected by the initial incident, lead to injury of others if hazards are not quickly addressed, and hinder fact collection and device sequestration (when applicable), potentially impeding investigation and analysis or abrogating legal protections. Similarly, having inadequate protocols and readily available supplies to provide immediate care for affected individuals, including staff and visitors, can worsen injuries and outcomes.

The following hypothetical scenarios illustrate the harm that can result...