...Fall Prevention Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for persons over 65 years old. Falls can be linked to several factors such as several medical, cognitive and functional factors. There are several factors as well as situations that can increase fall risk such as unsteady gait, vision and cognitive impairment, incontinence and environment (Huey-Ming, 2011). In 2005, a sum of 15,802 individual over 65 years of age reportedly were injured from falling and died. In 2006, 1.8 million estimated individuals over 65 years old incurred some kind recent injury related to falls (CDC, 2006). However, the number of uninjured older adults that fell or had minor to moderate injury is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues of falls on the geriatric unit that I am employed and the changes necessary to decrease the numbers of falls on this unit. Problem Identification The geriatric unit in the hospital where I work has an average census of 36. On this unit patient falls are the most prominent problem. According to the hospital data in the past six months, there has been an average of two falls a day and twenty injuries related to falls. The number of patient falls has increased by 35 percent in the past six months. The goal of the fall prevention program is to reduce falls percentage by 30 percent (three falls a week) for the next three months and maintain it at a maximum of one fall a month thereafter. Falls affects the safety of the patients...
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...are experienced by older adults who fall, but a number of trends highlight the magnitude of the problem: o Falling accounts for 80-95% of hip fractures in older adults. o The rate of fatal falls increases dramatically with age. o Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths for older adults. o Among adults 75 and older, those who fall are four to five times more likely to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or longer. (Mission Hospital Data, Risk Management, 2012) For decades, hospitals and other health care organizations have integrated to understand the contributing causes of falls, to minimize their occurrence and resulting injuries or deaths. Today, organizations have begun reaching out to each other for collaboration on the best ways to prevent falls. Based on Centers for Disease and Prevention (2012) data, each year one in three older Americans (65 and older) falls and about 30% of those falls require medical treatment. Falls are not only the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries but also the most common cause of hospital admission for trauma. More than $19 billion annually is spent on treating the elderly for the adverse effects of falls: $12 billion for hospitalization, $4 billion for emergency department visits, and $3 billion for outpatient care. Most of these expenses are paid for by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services through Medicare. It is projected that direct treatment costs from elder falls will escalate to $43.8 billion annually...
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...Williams EBP Project One of the most dangerous activities for hospital patients is the seemingly simple act of getting out of bed; it can lead to a hard fall, serious injuries and several thousands of dollars in added medical bills. Studies show that falls are most likely to happen between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. and are commonly the result of patients getting up to use the bathroom. Patient’s most at risk for falls are those who are elderly, forgetful, or possibly confused; who even if you give them instructions, may not remember. Accidental falls are the leading cause of injury and death in adults over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a problem even in U.S. hospitals, which employ various means of making sure at-risk patients stay safe. Still, falls happen, and they come with a cost. • 2.3 million: Number of nonfatal fall injuries among older adults that were treated in ER. • 662,000: Number of those ER patients that were hospitalized as a result of falls. • 25 percent: Percentage of hospital falls that result in injuries. • 2 percent: Percentage of hospital falls that result in medical complications. • $4,000: Average dollar amount added to medical bills as a result of inpatient falls. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Florida Academic Health Center) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “requires that a healthcare facility be a safe environment and setting...
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...Numerous researched have been performed to study the best evidence based practice to prevent falls among the older adults during hospitalization. Healthcare providers have a greater responsibility to practice and use the research interventions in older adults to achieve the best evidence based practice by reducing the fall rates among the older populations. Siegrist et al., (2016) reviewed “the effects of a targeted complex exercise intervention to prevent falls among the older populations”. Exercise programs benefit the older adults by decreasing the risk of falling and it can improve the fall risk factors such as muscle limitation, balance and gait abnormalities. The study by Siegrist et al. (2016) found effectual multifactorial fall prevention...
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...Falls are not a part of the normal aging process even though the risk increases with age and falls are preventable and manageable (National Council on Aging, 2015). There are legislations and regulations at the national, state, and local levels, which are paying attention to identify serious issue such as falls among older adults. These policies, legislations, and regulations help to improve existing or developed new effective fall prevention programs based on researches. Therefore, the policies can play a pivotal role in preventing falls and falls-related injuries, and reducing risk for falls among older adults. Some of the legislations that were identified are as follows: Safety of Seniors (SOS) Act of 2007 The Safety of Seniors Act of...
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...FALL PREVENTION IN GERIATRIC POPULATION By Loice Taruwinga November 2017 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Nursing University of Southern Indiana Introduction Falls are a major concern and a source of injury among the elderly population in nursing homes. It is estimated that 25% of seniors who incur fractures from falling are expected to live less than six months after the fall incident (Vu, Weintraub, & Rubenstein, 2004). The fear of falls among the elderly can keep them from doing activities or performing simple daily tasks. This fear can limit their mobility and negatively impact their quality of life. Care providers...
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...J A Collaborative Approach to Fall Prevention By ANGELA MERRETT, PATRICIA THOMAS, ANNE STEPHENS, ROLA MOGHABGHAB and MARILYN GRUNEIR The four partner organizations formally recognized their commitment and shared vision through a letter of agreement, which specified a framework, definitions and terms for their respective roles and responsibilities. The letter of agreement was intended to foster a sense of belonging among the group and identify leadership and governance for the project. The two site coordinators were responsible for preparing and coordinating the ethical review applications and letters of support. The team decided to use the existing practices of community service providers. To facilitate referrals of participating patients, the team first identified the existing service pathways. The hospital medical director distributed an overview document to inform emergency department physicians of the project, and the clinical nurse specialist reviewed the referral process, protocols and documentation with nursing staff. ore than ever, health-care providers need to communicate with each other to stay informed about the services clients receive. Working in collaboration is essential to the delivery of effective, efficient and timely care (D'Amour, Ferrada-Videla, San Martin Rodriguez, & Beaulieu, 2005; Interprofessional Care Steering Committee, 2007). We all had roles on the Geriatric Emergency ManagementFalls Intervention Team (GEM-FIT) project, which was aimed...
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...Falls: Risks, Facts, Prevention Falls: Risks, Facts, Prevention The following information is a compilation of the teaching plan utilized for the community teaching assignment. The information presented includes statistical analysis and detailed information on potential risks of injury and death related to falls among the elderly. It also highlights prevention methods that can be utilized in an attempt to decrease Emergency Room visits secondary to falls. My target audience consisted of 18 senior citizens who reside at Heartfield Assisted Living Facility in Cary, NC. The median age of this group was 78 years old. A wheelchair with faulty brakes, oxygen tubing and a quad cane were used for props and demonstrations of safe vs. unsafe use. My teaching plan followed the pamphlet that was created for the teaching assignment. I chose this format as I felt it would be helpful to provide a resource for seniors to reference after completion of the session. The title of the pamphlet is Falls: Risks, Facts, Prevention; Understanding potential hazards and how to promote safety. The pamphlet/teaching was broken down into three categories: facts and statistics related to falls in the elderly, fall risks and prevention methods. An “Are you at Risk”? question and answer segment was also included to create awareness for individuals who believe they are practicing safety. This encouraged participants to analyze their...
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...Falls do not just occur as a result of people aging. Often, numerous risk factors and underlying causes are involved in patient falls. “A risk factor is something that increases a person's risk or susceptibility to a medical problem or disease” (cdc.org, 2013). The higher the number of risk factors the higher the risk of falls. Falls are usually related to medical conditions or physical disabilities. “Falls are the leading cause of injury-related visits to emergency departments in the United States and the primary etiology of accidental deaths in persons over the age of 65 years” (cdc.org, 2013). Increase in age, cognitive impairment medication use and sensory are all risk factors for falls. Management is focused on these underlying causes...
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...Patient safety and improved patient outcomes is a leading factor into the implementation of fall prevention strategies. Therefore, to more effectively measure and implement fall and injury prevention programs, a proposed module is suggested. This module shows that high reliability organization key elements and incorporating a culture of patient safety by looking closer at each level and including nurses, should be included when evaluating effective prevention strategies. This article helps to effectively measure changes to improve patient safety related to falls. A project was developed to improve patient safety and reduce falls in an inpatient setting. The project takes place at a highly recognized hospital with many fall prevention...
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...Primary Prevention: Single Parenthood Week 6 Individual Work Charryse Mason University of Phoenix HSM/210 Human Services in the United States April 22, 2014 Primary Prevention: Single Parenthood State and federal prevention programs direct their resources based on the level of prevention. This three-tiered system includes primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention. To address the issue of single parenting, primary prevention was chosen. The goal of primary prevention is to aid in minimizing the occurrence of single parenting, promoting awareness and recommending positive coping techniques. The text states that “Primary Prevention involves building strengths, resources, and competence inn individuals, families, and communities that can reduce the flow of a variety of unfortunate outcomes.(Burger and Youkeles,2004,p. 308) I think that this ties in with single parenting because it can help people cope well with difficult problems. For instance, a single parent may run into technical difficulties and may need help. This prevention can provide help like counseling or something to help prevent any psychological orders like depression. I know from experience that depression can take a toll on someone’s body. A single parent can have so many emotions. Primary prevention can help them cope with depression if it shall arise. Social Policies and Government Regulations A single parent comes across so many different obstacles. In today’s society the...
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...body is infected by another microbial, such as a upper respiratory infection (Kid’s Health, 2011). Pneumonia can also be contracted by inhaling a liquid or chemical into the lungs (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2014). Pneumonia may affect anyone from children to adults. This disease can be prevented and treated. Disease Prevention Type Pneumonia falls under more than one prevention type category. Primary prevention of pneumonia in the form of vaccines is an effective method among children and the elderly. The infant vaccine series of the pneumococcal vaccine, Prevnar, has been incorporated into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunizations for infants between ages two months and eighteen months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). Other vaccines also contribute to prevention including Hib, Flu, and Pertussis (CDC, 2014). Because they're at higher risk for serious complications, infants born prematurely may be given treatments that temporarily protect against RSV, which can lead to pneumonia in younger kids (Kid’s Health, 2011). Hand washing and proper cleaning habits are also primary prevention methods against pneumonia. Hand washing help prevent direct contamination from hand contact and is critical especially when in contact with someone with the disease. As pneumonia is spread mostly through saliva and mucus from coughing, sneezing and sharing utensils or glasses with an infected person, it is important to...
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...Health Promotion Initially when health promotion was developed it grew and improved the healthy status and health conditions of the public. Health promotion is a relationship between actions, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior and health outcomes from the individual to the societal level. In the past the focus was more on disease prevention and control of communicable disease, when contagious and communicable disease like measles, polio and small pox were present. As government and health care agencies are involved communicable disease are under control and now focus on health promotion. This paper explore the concept of health , health promotion, multiple health models , nursing roles and responsibilities and multiple health models and its approach taken towards health promotion. According to each individual health is defined and can be affected by many factors. According to World Health Organization (WHO) (World Health Organization, 2003) health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. “Health is a complex state of metabolic efficiency that represents the biological integration associated with physical, mental, and emotional stability of a person. It represents the ability to identify and realize aspiration, satisfy needs and to change and or adapt to its environment. Health is therefore a resource for everyday life.” (Green, 2010) Health promotion is “the art and science of helping people discover the...
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...Running Head: Older Adults 1 Essential Care of Frail Older Adults Mary Anne V Wheeler Lane Community College Abstract This paper explores the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s map for the patient process of essential care for the elderly. It summarizes the IHI map and then discusses the specific goals of The Joint Commission (TJC) and how they relate to the IHI map. The paper then continues on to discuss how the standards of TJC are put into effect at McKenzie Willamette hospital to provide the essential care for the older patient. Essential Care of Frail Older Adults Overview On the improvement map from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) website, the patient process “Essential Care for Frail Older Adults” is outlined. IHI states that the purpose of this process is to “Ensure coordinated, reliable, and safe care for frail older patients as they enter the hospital.” As the title of the map indicates this patient process is related to the care of our older adult patients. The IHI website indicates that it would be moderately challenging to implement this patient process for the following reason “Either it involves multiple units or disciplines OR requires a substantial shift in culture an/or operations, but not both of these.” This patient process will need to be implemented in any medical facility that may treat the frail older adult including medical, surgical and emergency departments of hospitals along with nursing...
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...1.Please give an example of primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention- Ex- a patient getting their yearly mammogram to detect breast cancer or getting the immunizations. Secondary prevention – Ex a patient getting treatment for an illness (hypertension.) Tertiary prevention- EX is a patient gets care to prevent further progression of a disease like rehab. 2. Give examples of how a nurse would commit the following crimes: Negligence, breach of confidentiality, assault, battery. Negligence- Ex is failing to monitor the patient, improper medication administration and failing to provide a change in patient status. Breach of confidentiality- Ex is giving out patient information to an unauthorized people or leaving open a patient chart. Assault- Ex is threatening a patient by giving them a shot or putting restraints on them. Battery- Ex holding down a patient against their will to get procedures done faster. 3. What is the nurse’s responsibilities regarding advanced directives? * The nurse must make sure that under the client records it must have documentation that they have signed a advanced directive. * The nurse must not be a witness in the advance directive * If the patient revoke the advance directive the nurse must make sure to document and record immediately in the patient chart. 4. What are some factors that increase a client’s risk for infection? Immunocompromised patients , Not isolation precautions...
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