Bed Alarms

A bed alarm is a sensor device placed on the bed under a resident to alert staff if the resident tries to get out of bed as the resident’s movement triggers an alarm at the nurses’ station (and with some devices, in the patient’s room as well).

Evidence of Effectiveness:

Again, Agostini and colleagues (2001) only found one study that studied the effectiveness of bed alarms in isolation from other interventions. This study by Tideiksaar and colleagues (1993) found fewer falls in the intervention group but the results were not statistically significant. In general, there is insufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of bed alarms. However, there is also no potential harm from its implementation but costs range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. The sensors require replacement after a certain period and need to be cleaned between patients, thus incurring further costs. As well, implementation of bed alarms also requires adequate staffing to respond to the alarms in a timely manner.

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