Paper Example on Fall Prevention in Nursing Homes

Introduction

The clinical problem in the case is that a massive population of adults and older adults admitted to Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation center were susceptible to risks of the fall injury. There is an association existing between the falls that hospitals experience concerning these adult patients and the act of new placement in significant nursing homes when these patients get hospitalized as a result of acute illness (Houry et al. 2016). Majority of new adults in the nursing homes experience falls (Twibell et al. 2015). It is the responsibility of the medical facilities to give priority to the prevention of falls for these old people in nursing homes.

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Falls are preventable, but they are rampant in nursing homes causing significant visits to the emergency rooms (Basic et al. 2015). The cause of falls may include instances of muscle weakness in the elderly, walking problems, the type of medication and improper care of the foot among others (Petersen et al. 2018). Prevention of falls is possible through fall prevention programs.

The patient population for the study of the clinical problem is the adult, and geriatric population admitted in the Rehabilitation Center. The hospitalized individuals were as a result of incurring injuries, getting sick or even suffering from long-term conditions (Johnell et al. 2017). It is considered a clinical problem because the demand for care from the patients does not go with the supply of the same attention (Laflamme et al. 2015). This difference is as a result of understaffing of the Lakeview nursing home, and their medical conditions make them extremely vulnerable to falls (Sharifi et al. 2015). The study was done in a time frame of the first three months following the admission of patients at Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation center at Chicago Illinois.

It is essential that a nursing facility like Lakeview takes its time to assess fall risk of patients and provide its intervention by providing the necessary tools for care. The response may include care provide education (Vandenberg et al. 2017). The care providers need to add the family members who are the immediate associates of the patient (Phelan et al. 2016). Nurses need to also take a massive part in ensuring they provide the necessary care to the patients (Bergen, 2016). Hospital environments need to be free from any hazard that could result in falls. Such environmental conditions are the likes of slippery floor, poor lighting, and items that are left on the floor (Crandall et al. 2016). It is also necessary to keep mobility in proper conditions as they help in getting patients to the areas they want to go.

The rehabilitation center makes a comparison of the multifactorial approach and care provider. The multifactorial approach involves implementing a range of interventions that help to cut on instances of patient falls and improve on the general safety of a nursing home (Vlaeyen et al. 2017). The institution carries a comprehensive assessment of the patients and the environment as they determine any factors that may create risks (Ambrose et al. 2016). Care providers are necessary to provide constant care to the patients. The outcomes lead to a reduction in the fall rate and the risks of injury.

Conclusion

Fall risks should not be neglected, and staff members need to receive proper training on strategies that prevent falls and the associated risks (Khanuja et al. 2018). Patients require physical therapy and balance to act as exercise programs as it will help to improve strength that in turn helps to lessen the levels of injury occurrence (Sherrington et al. 2016). Medical facilities need to provide care to the elderly.

References

Ambrose, A. F., Cruz, L., & Paul, G. (2015). Falls and fractures: a systematic approach to screening and prevention. Maturitas, 82(1), 85-93.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.06.035

Basic, David, & Hartwell, Tabitha J. (2015). Falls in the hospital and new placement in a nursing home among older people hospitalized with the acute illness. Dove Medical Press, doi: 10.2147/CIA.S90296

Bergen, G. (2016). Falls and fall injuries among adults aged 65 years- the United States, 2014. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 65. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6537a2.htm

Crandall, M., Duncan, T., Mallat, A., Greene, W., Violano, P., Christmas, A. B., & Barraco, R. (2016). Prevention of fall-related injuries in the elderly: An Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma practice management guideline. Journal of trauma and acute care surgery, 81(1), 196-206.doi:10.1001/jama.2017.15006

Houry, D., Florence, C., Baldwin, G., Stevens, J., & McClure, R. (2016). The CDC injury center's response to the growing public health problem of falls among older adults. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 10(1), 74-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827615600137

Johnell, K., Jonasdottir, B. G., Fastbom, J., Danielsson, B., Borg, N., & Salmi, P. (April 01, 2017). Psychotropic drugs and the risk of fall injuries, hospitalizations and mortality among older adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32, 4, 414-420. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4483

Khanuja, K., Joki, J., Bachmann, G., & Cuccurullo, S. (2018). Gait and balance in the aging population: Fall prevention using innovation and technology. Maturitas, 110, 51-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.01.021

Laflamme, L., Monarrez-Espino, J., Johnell, K., Elling, B., &Moller, J. (2015). Type, Number or Both? A Population-Based Matched Case-Control Study on the Risk of Fall Injuries among Older People and Number of Medications beyond Fall-Inducing Drugs. Plus ONE, 10(3), 1-12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123390

Petersen, J. D., Siersma, V. D., Christensen, R. D., Storsveen, M. M., Nielsen, C. T., &Waldorff, F. B. (January 01, 2018). The risk of fall accidents for home dwellers with dementia-A register- and population-based case-control study. Alzheimer's & Dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 10, 421-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadm.2018.05.004

Phelan, E. A., Aerts, S., Dowler, D., Eckstrom, E., & Casey, C. M. (2016). Adoption of evidence-based fall prevention practices in primary care for older adults with a history of falls. Frontiers in public health, 4, 190.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00190

Sharifi, F., Fakhrzadeh, H., Memari, A., Najafi, B., Nazari, N., Khoee, M. A., & ... Philp, I. (2015). Predicting risk of the fall among aged adult residents of a nursing home. Archives Of Gerontology And Geriatrics, 61124-130. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2015.06.014

Sherrington, C., Fairhall, N., Kirkham, C., Clemson, L., Howard, K., Vogler, C., ... & Sonnabend, D. (2016). Exercise and fall prevention self-management to reduce mobility-related disability and falls after fall-related lower limb fracture in older people: protocol for the RESTORE (Recovery Exercises and STepping On afteR fracturE) randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics, 16(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-016-0206-5

Twibell, R. S., Siela, D., Sproat, T., & Coers, G. (2015). Perceptions related to falls and fall prevention among hospitalized adults. American Journal of Critical Care, 24(5), e78-e85.doi: 10.4037/ajcc2015375

Vandenberg, A. E., van Beijnum, B. J., Overdevest, V. G., Capezuti, E., & Johnson II, T. M. (2017). US and Dutch nurse experiences with fall prevention technology within a nursing home environment and workflow: A qualitative study. Geriatric Nursing, 38(4), 276-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2016.11.005

Vlaeyen, E., Stas, J., Leysens, G., Van der Elst, E., Janssens, E., Dejaeger, E., ... &Milisen, K. (2017). Implementation of fall prevention in residential care facilities: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators. International journal of nursing studies, 70, 110-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.02.002