For Immediate Release:
Contact: Joy Savulak
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Public Relations
(203) 586-9417 | jsavulak@gaylord.org
WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, November 20, 2025 - A new study by Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, published in American Journal of Nursing, demonstrates that a continuous video monitoring program in the long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) setting significantly reduced inpatient falls and adverse events while generating substantial cost savings.
Although patient falls are a major safety concern across all inpatient settings, they pose an especially significant risk in the long-term acute care hospitals (LTACH) which care for medically complex patients who require extended hospitalization and often experience factors that elevate fall risk including cognitive impairment, impulsivity, and reduced awareness of their limitations.
“LTACHs like Gaylord Hospital have a unique environment where traditional fall-prevention strategies, such as 24-hour one-on-one sitters, are resource-intensive and can become very costly,” said Lisa Kalafus, MSN, RN, CENP, Chief Nursing Officer at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare and co-author of the study.
To address these challenges, many hospitals are adopting continuous video monitoring, a technology that positions an in-room monitoring device equipped with one-way video and two-way audio. This enables trained technicians to simultaneously observe multiple high-risk patients in real-time, redirect unsafe behaviors, and immediately alert staff when hands-on assistance is required.
Over the 20-month study period, Gaylord Hospital deployed 12 mobile continuous video monitoring devices using this model, allowing a centralized team of technicians to provide continuous oversight and intervene before unsafe behaviors escalated.
During the 20-month study period, the use of continuous video monitoring at Gaylord Hospital resulted in:
While the primary goals were fall reduction and conservation of employee resources, the study also uncovered several unexpected advantages. Monitoring technicians frequently helped ease patient anxiety and feelings of isolation during periods of restricted visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering an additional layer of human connection. The system also occasionally identified concerning visitor interactions that might otherwise have gone unnoticed, providing an added level of protection for vulnerable patients.
“These findings reinforce that continuous video monitoring is not simply a more cost-efficient replacement for 1:1 sitters in the LTACH setting, it is a proactive safety tool that helps create a more responsive, supportive, and protected care environment,” said Kalafus.
Kalafus explained that although the research was conducted in an LTACH setting, the findings may be applicable across all inpatient healthcare settings. “Hospitals everywhere are facing workforce shortages, rising care costs, and increasing patient complexity. Continuous video monitoring offers a scalable, evidence-based solution that reduces strain on staff while strengthening patient safety - two priorities for every healthcare organization.”
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut that provides inpatient and outpatient care for people at every point in their journey from illness or injury to maximum recovery.
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is anchored by Gaylord Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital, and includes Gaylord Outpatient Services and Gaylord Physical Therapy for patients who require diagnosis and treatment. Gaylord’s Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a hub for accelerating world-class rehabilitative research, technology development, and innovation to improve the quality of life and function of people around the world. Together, these entities deliver a complete continuum of rehabilitative care driven by clinical experience, innovation, and human compassion. Learn more at www.gaylord.org.