Topic Falls Causes

Falls are considered a leading cause of mortality and injury among older adults and majority of the falls occurs while hospitalized. One would think being in the hospital would be one of the safest places for older adults as far as fall prevention is concern due to the fact that hospitals provide staffing around the clock for patients but more and more falls have been occurring in the hospital especially in the older adult population. Fall is an unintended descent to the ground. It raises public and family care liability; it also decreases patient’s functioning because it causes pain and suffering, and increases medical costs (Saverino et al, 2015). The Center for Disease Control

My target population for this project was geared towards the elderly group. "About 40% of this age group living at home will fall at least once each year, and about 1 in 40 of them will be hospitalized. Of those admitted to the hospital after a fall, only about half will be alive a year later."(Rubenstein, 2006) This group although not the highest incidence of falls but rather the highest susceptibility to injury from falls.

Falling risks are increased in seniors with dementia, musculoskeletal disorders, neurologic conditions, vision and hearing loss, and those on multiple medications. Given this list, is it any wonder that more than 50

A fall is a lethal event that results from an amalgamation of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which predispose an elderly person to the incident (Naqvi et al 2009). The frequency of hospital admission due to falls for older people in Australia, Canada, UK and Northern Ireland range from 1.6 to 3.0 per 10 000 population (WHO 2012). The prevalence of senior citizen’s falls in acute care settings varies widely and the danger of falling rises with escalating age or frailty. Falls of hospitalized older adults are one of the major patient safety issues in terms of morbidity, mortality, and decreased socialization

The World Health Organization (2012) define falls as “an event which results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or floor or other lower level” (WHO, 2012). They can happen to anyone but are more likely to happen to those over 65 years (Rubenstein L. 2016). Individuals who have already fallen are more likely to fall and sustain an injury than those who haven’t (Rubenstein L. 2016). Because falls are not a result of just one cause, they stem from a myriad of reasons further inhibiting the prevention of them (Rubenstein L. 2016). The more we understand about falls and its complexities (Rubenstein L. 2016); the emotional, physical, and financial consequences, as well as the many ways we can prevent them; the more we are able to enjoy a high quality of life in our later years.

Many people believe that falling is a normal part of the aging process and that if a person lives long enough they will eventually suffer a fall. It is true that some of the physiological changes that occur in every older adult as a normal part of the aging process do increase an older adult’s risk of falling. However, a fall does not need to be the end result in each of these situations. There are certain activities and strategies that can be undertaken by the nurse in health care settings in order to lower the risk of these falls occurring. It is especially important for nurses in health care facilities to assess older clients for their fall risks and then to plan and implement strategies and activities that will lower those risks.

Falling can impair an individual’s sight, hearing, muscle strength, coordination and reflexes (AssistGuide Information Services, 2009). Preventing falls is essential for older individuals to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It was reported taking certain medications can cause dizziness which can lead to falling. Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones break easily and older adults can develop this (AGIS, 2009). Falls can be more serve than others and lead to inpatient or outpatient care which can be costly (Kramer et al., 2014). It is reported by 2020 annual direct costs will be $54.9 billon for falls that could have been prevented (Friedman, 2014). Effective fall prevention programs are needed to reduce the number of falls that could have been avoided (Keall, 2015).

prevention of the falls could save older adults from related injuries and deaths. Researchers have

The criteria that will be established for inclusion in the study includes: a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and a history of one or more falls in the last 180 days. Prior to the fall risk assessment project implementation signed consent from participants, health care representative, or guardians will be obtained. The project will be done through a pre- and post-data analysis. Twenty members will be chosen through random sampling from the criteria list.

Multiple campaigns have begun to bring awareness to falls and fall prevention. Lifestyles and changes at home can be made to help older adults live a more active, healthy and independent life. By making these changes older adults are making their quality of life better as they continue to age (“New Campaign,” 2016). Older adults should try to understand what factors put them at risk for falling. Researchers have determined the best way to prevent falls, and have identified programs that aid in fall prevention. Though not all risks can be eliminated, a plan to recognize and reduce risks can be developed with a medical provider. There are various physical activity programs that focus on increasing balance and mobility skills to reduce falls. Changes to reduce hazards in the home and community can help a person in fulfilling their daily activities (Basics of Fall Prevention, 2016). There are multiple causes that can lead to a fall, but weak muscles and poor balance contribute to most falls (Gardner et al., 1999).

Studies show that adults of ages 65 and above account for 80 % falls in acute care setting (Rheaume, 2015). A variety of factors predispose this group of vulnerable population to falls and include: age, urinary incontinence, impaired mobility and vision, orthostatic hypotension, history of falls, mental status changes, and acute illness. Falls can result in increased hospital cost, injury or even worse, death. The study focused on six case reviews on patients between the ages of 64 and 87, who sustained falls while hospitalized (Rheaume, 2015).

Falling is inevitable at some point in life, and although most of the time falls are not serious, some can be life-threatening. Falls are a danger to both physical and psychological well-being because they may diminish a person’s ability to maintain an active and independent lifestyle.1 There are many factors that place individuals at risk for falls such as age, muscle weakness, difficulty with balance or walking, psychological diagnosis, and several medical conditions.1,2 Approximately one-third of people over the age of 65 fall at least once a year.3 Individuals that are status post stroke are at an increased risk of falls, making falls assessment and prevention a common priority for clinicians treating this population.1,2 Therefore, to direct the experimental methods and build on a basis of previous literature on this topic, the search began using OneSearch, CINAHL, PubMed, and

Fall is the major cause of injury in the elderly, which places more load on the health care system (Krasovsky, Lamontagne, Feldman, & Levin, 2014). Samuel D. Towne Jr. and his colleagues conducted a study to calculate the cost of hospitalizing older people as a result of falling in Texas Hospital. 77,086 fallers were hospitalized, costing around 3.1 billion dollars in 2011, which is an increase of around 2 billion dollars since 2007 (Towne, Ory, & Smith, 2014). Moreover, fall directly causes 21,649 deaths and indirectly causes 5,402 deaths in the United States in 2010 (Stevens & Rudd, 2014). Also, 420,000 individuals around the world die yearly because of falling (Mignardot et al., 2014). Most falls in older adults take place during walking (Lee, Verghese, Holtzer, Mahoney, & Oh-Park, 2014). Therefore, falls are related to gait variability

Falls are a common cause of death for people over the age of 65. Following accidents, fall related mortality rate has relatively stayed constant over the last four decades. The dementia disorder continues to add an increase in fall-risk. Despite their knowledge

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related visits to emergency departments especially among seniors [1-4] and a rapid grasp for external support or a quick step, which serves as postural adjustment to restore center of mass (COM) equilibrium, after loss of balance are broadly accepted as a critical motor skill to prevent a fall from occurring [1-3, 5, 6]. Basically speaking, a fall could happen in two conditions: under