HP200 Introduction to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Preventing Falls In The Elderly

A fall refers to the act of collapsing or falling towards the ground by moving downwards. It usually occurs as a result of losing balance by a person that brings about collapsing. Fall can also be said to be an abrupt event that occurs when someone unwillingly rests on a lower leveled surface of the ground or the floor.  Aging is usually associated with many problems. When a person starts to age many complications usually arise him like poor eyesight and hearing. As a result, it makes the old very more likely to fall. Also, the old are more susceptible to many illnesses which makes their bodies very weak. That affects their physical balance and body strengths. That results in falls in them since they are unable to withhold and control their bodies on random unbalanced occurrences. Some medications taken by the old such as for depression and sleeping issues have side effects. They affect the brain and can cause accidental falls. Extremely the old who are over 70 years of age face the risk of breaking their bones if they fall because at this age their bones are very fragile and weak due to osteoporosis. Falling is associated with a lot of damages especially if it is fatal. It can cause early deaths, lead to the placement of a person in a nursing home, and also the reduction in the movement to the old person as his mobility will be affected greatly. Accidental falls lead to someone being taken to Emergency wards and the treatment costs there are usually very high and unaffordable to many.

The main damage associated with falls is that it directly affects the normal daily life of an elderly person in many ways. Climbing stairs whether upwards or downwards becomes a challenge to the individual since it is a very energy and strength-demanding activity that the individual lacks after the fall. Lengthy walks and activities like standing after sitting down for longer periods become a nightmare to the individual. Calls to abrupt activities and quick reactions become a challenge to the individual since the ability to react quickly is not there at all. Osteoporosis which causes the weakening of bones in the elderly can result in vulnerability and severity in fractures resulting from falls in the elderly. In the United States, mortalities resulting from injuries among the elderly falls are the underlying cause (Jin,2018).

The image above shows data of a study carried in 2016 about falling in elderly and the damages like fatalities resulting from it. According to the study, in every five older people in the United States, more than one falls each year. More than half don't report to their doctors. The study also estimated that over 3 million people, were brought to the emergency department because of falling. From that over, 800,000 were hospitalized for long periods because they had head and hip injuries. Medical costs resulting from falls were over $50 billion. More than 75% were taken care of by Medicare and Medicaid. Deaths from falls were found to be over 20% each year. That was a result of the increase in older people each year. The number of older people in the United States is increasing every year because the population is also aging, the number of falls will also increase greatly as a result. The cost of treating falls in the United States will also increase (Burns & Kakara,2018).

One of the best things that the elderly can associate themselves with to avoid falling is all the activities that require movement. And always ensure that they are moving. Any activity that involves movement reduces any chances of falls because they help improve balance, strength, and flexibility. Some people have the mentality of fearing and avoiding physical activities because they view them as strenuous and with a lot of falls. Clinicians should take this person through very well monitored and guided body exercise programs. Over 40% of the elderly who have experienced a fall have no history of illnesses before the fall. Others feel dizzy before falling and end up having broken bones and fractures and also bruises very easily (Guirguis-Blake et al.,2018).

For clinicians to prevent falls among the elderly, the most important step they must undertake is ensuring that they all the whole history associated with falls. That is through carrying out thorough research about falls. Some publications have been produced about falls like the one produced in 2010 by the society of American and British Geriatrics. The publication had all the guidelines and procedures to aid clinicians to prevent and manage falls in the elderly. Clinicians following these guidelines when carrying out office assessments will help them implement new clinical inventions that will prevent and avoid falls.

To get the best results from the falls of patients, nurses and clinicians must use evidence-based interventions. Interventions are very important for the elderly who have different health histories like dementia, high blood pressure, and muscle weakness. Houses in which the elderly are staying should be made safer by removing anything that can make them fall. Also, the hospital wards in which they are residing. Should be cleared of any objects that can make them fall like; bins and pipes. All the floors elderly patients pass through should not be wet at all times. Paths to washrooms and bathrooms should be direct.

In case a falling patient is presented to the emergency department, nurses and clinicians assessing him must ask the patient's history regarding falling. Hospitals with their doctors and nurses must implement policies that go in line with American Geriatrics guidelines to help manage and prevent any forms of falls among the elderly. Questioning to the patient during assessment should be very intense in a way that the patient will be asked about any history relating to falling, the causes of the fall, and any underlying problems. This assessment may be recorded and used as a reference in the future by clinicians.

Another important thing is that healthcare clinicians should use both levels- one and secondary bundles to all patients while they are undergoing admission to the hospital. Level one is very essential because it involves assessments. That of the patient’s family members and also fears of falls. Assessments relating to patients’ beds and chairs on whether they are protected before and after use are also carried out. Elimination of risky non-essentials in corridors and rooms is carried out also alongside proper education to the patient and family caregivers on how to avoid any falls.

Interventions to secondary packages are also very necessary and important. Drugs are looked into on their side effects to the patient and whether they are risky to cause falls to the patient. Patients should be guided on healthy living methods by their family members or healthcare professionals. Family members should ensure hygiene to the patient and that he does regular exercises by helping and guiding him through because the elderly are very lazy in such activities. Eye checkups to the old should also be done regularly to ensure that nothing is wrong with vision. The home environment of the old person should also be modified to suit all his needs. Regular access to vitamin D of the patient should also be ensured by the family members (Grossman, et al.,2018).

Conclusion

One of the most interventions that must be employed to curb falls among the elderly, is by clearly educating them and their families on all the safety measures regarding falls. Nurses and clinicians should thoroughly educate the families to always stay close to their patients every time while employing certain strategies to make them feel comfortable as much as possible.

References.

Burns, E., & Kakara, R. (2018). Deaths from falls among persons aged≥ 65 years—the United States, 2007–2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(18), 509.

Guirguis-Blake, J. M., Michael, Y. L., Perdue, L. A., Coppola, E. L., & Beil, T. L. (2018). Interventions to prevent falls in older adults: updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Jama, 319(16), 1705-1716.

Grossman, D. C., Curry, S. J., Owens, D. K., Barry, M. J., Caughey, A. B., Davidson, K. W., ... & US Preventive Services Task Force. (2018). Interventions to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults: US preventive services task force recommendation statement. Jama, 319(16), 1696-1704.

Jin, J. (2018). Prevention of falls in older adults. Jama, 319(16), 1734-1734.

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