How To Prevent Falls Among Older People Research Paper

 

The development and implementation of effective strate gies that aim at the prevention of falls among older people is one of the primary concerns of the nursing staff and health care professionals working with older patients (Currie, 2006). As older patients face a high risk of falls because of their physical condition and other factors, such as the health care environment, they need to receive the effective care services from the part of the nursing staff to prevent the risk of falls (Diduszyn, et al., 2008). At the same time, patients and their family members should also be aware of the risk of falls and possible effects of falls among the older population. In this regard, the risk assessment and prevention should comprise the core of the fall prevention strategy for the older population of health care organizations.

The first step to the prevention of risk of falls is the risk assessment. The risk assessment includes a set of complex measurements and assessments, which aim at the accurate assessment of the risk of falls among the older population. In this regard, the assessment of the current physical condition of older patients and their history of falls are particularly important because patients, who have already experienced falls, face the higher risk of falls. The prevention of such falls, therefore, should be the priority of health care professionals and nursing staff. In addition, the assessment involves the health care setting since the environment and facilities of health care organizations should minimize the risk of falls of patients.

Furthermore, the prevention of falls among older inpatient population involves the elaboration of the fall prevention plan, which determines key areas, which need enhancements and key risk factors that have to be eliminated (Peterson, et al., 2005). The risk assessment naturally leads to the elaboration of the prevention plan, which should address the major risks and threats associated with the older population in the health care environment. The prevention plan should include concise and specific steps that will help to prevent the risk of falls among older patients (Stiwell, Fineout- Overhout, & Melynk, 2010). For example, the plan should include specific steps on the enhancement of the health care environment, such as the improvement of lighting, the use of anti-slippery floors, and other strategies.

The involvement of patients and family members into the fall prevention planning is another essential step to prevent the risk of falls among older populations. In fact, the fall prevention plan will never work, if patients and their families are not engaged in the plan (Polit & Beck, 2012). Researchers (Polit & Beck, 2012) insist that patients should be aware of risks of falls to come prepared to prevent them effectively. When patients are aware of such risks, they become more careful and refer to the assistance of others, when they are uncertain in their current condition.

The documentation and communication of risk prevention and fall prevention plan are essential for the successful reduction of the risk of falls and their prevention among the older population (Guarascio-Howard, 2011). In fact, the plan should be documented accurately and communicated to patients, the nursing staff and other stakeholders. In such a way, all stakeholders unite their efforts to implement the plan and, therefore, to prevent the risk of falls. Therefore, the plan can be implemented successfully.

At the same time, both health care professionals and patients should come prepared to possible challenges in the course of the implementation of the fall prevention plan. In this regard, the major challenges are the lack of experience and expertise of health care professionals, costs of the fall prevention plan, responsibility of parties involved in the health care plan, the lack of the nursing staff, and other issues. Therefore, the fall prevention plan should address all the challenges to implement the plan successfully (Rubestein, 2006). Stakeholders should come prepared to those challenges and they should elaborate effective strategies to overcome those challenges, before they emerge.

The provision of the first medical aid and provision of patients with essential health care services is essential for the development of effective strategy of health care services delivery to patients. Furthermore, patients, who have suffered falls, need the rehabilitation and recovery, which also need the proper management from the part of the nursing staff and other health care professionals (Stiwell, Fineout- Overhout, & Melynk, 2010). The rehabilitation of patients is very important not only for their recovery but also for the prevention of falls in the future.

 

References:

Currie, L. M. (2006). Fall and injury prevention. Annual Review of Nursing Research

            24(1), 39-74. Retrieved from http://origin.www.ahrq.gov/legacy/qual/nurseshdbk/docs/currie_plp_pdf

Diduszyn, J, et al. (2008). Use of wireless nurse alert fall monitor to prevent inpatient falls. J Clin Outcomes Manage 15(6):293-6.

Guarascio-Howard, L. (2011). Examination of wireless technology to improve nurse communication, response time to bed alarms, and patient safety. HERD 4(2):109-20.

Peterson, J.F. et al. (2005). Guided prescription of psychotropic medications for geriatric inpatients. Arch Intern Med 165(7):802-7

Polit, D., F., & Beck, C. T. (2012). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.) Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Watkins

Rubestein, L. Z. (2006). Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies from prevention. Age Ageing 35(suppl.2), 37-41. doi. 10:1093/ageing/afl1084

Stiwell, S., B., Fineout- Overhout, E., Melynk, B. M. (2010). Evidence based-practice, step by step: Asking the clinical question. A step on evidence based practice. American Journal of Nursing 110(3), 58-61.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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