Facilities should protect emergency responders by communicating the medical urgency
When calling emergency medical personnel to respond to a fall at an assisted living facility, it is important to tell the phone operator whether the situation is medically urgent — not just for the individual’s safety, but for the safety of the responders who might be racing to the scene.

Under Nevada regulations, residential facility staff must provide or request medical attention for injuries sustained by a resident through incidents such as a fall. Whether the person who fell is uninjured or in need of immediate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) attention, a call for an assessment is often made to comply with Nevada Administrative Code 449.274(1)(b). Since assisted living facilities are not required to have medical personnel on staff 24 hours a day, complying with this rule often means calling an ambulance, even if it is to be “better safe than sorry.”

In making this call, staff are encouraged to tell the operator whether or not the emergency personnel need to rush to the scene to attend to the person who fell. If an urgent response is not needed, it is important that EMS responders know so they do not rush to the scene with lights flashing and put themselves in unnecessary jeopardy.

For more specifics on this requirement, read Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 449.0302.