It is commonly known that aging adults begin experiencing particular physical limitations, which are defined as difficulties in performing specific physical activities (Holmes, Powell-Griner, Lethbridge-Cejku, & Heyman, 2009, p. 1). Since an individual’s physical capability is restricted, falls start occurring and causing some adverse health issues. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), every fifth fall leads to trauma such as head injury or fractured bones (para. 2). Therefore, there is a high need for educating families about the aging limitations in order to prevent instances of falls in the elderly (Moncada, 2011, p. 1267).
Due to the fact that the majority of homes have potential hazards, the elderly often associate their falls to the home environment or close surroundings. As mentioned by Gillespie et al. (2012), interventions for home safety are one of the most common and effective methods for reducing falls in the elderly population (para. 3). However, the effectiveness of such interventions can often rely on the provision of proper education for families, training for improving the mobility of patients, as well as various strategies targeted at changing behavior (Lord, Menz, & Sherrington, 2006, p. 55).
Therefore, there is an aim for nurses to provide families with extensive information on the issue of home falls in the elderly to reduce the reportedly high rates of trauma and morbidity (Al-Aama, 2011, p. 771). Apart from implementing safety procedures to make the home environment less hazardous, families can also be educated on the importance of balance exercises, vitamin D supplementation, as well as the assessment of risk factors for falls as the ones that can be eliminated (World Health Organization, 2007, p. 33).
References
Al-Aama, T. (2011). Falls in the elderly. Spectrum and prevention. Canadian Family Physician, 57, 771-776.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Important facts about falls. Web.
Gillespie, LD., Robertson, M., Gillespie, WJ., Sherrington, C., Gates, S., Clemson, LM., & Lamb, SE. (2012). Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Web.
Holmes, J., Powell-Griner, E., Lethbridge-Cejku, M., Heyman, K. (2009). Aging differently: Physical limitations among adults aged 50 years and older: United States, 2001-2007. Web.
Lord, S., Menz, H., & Sherrington, C. (2006). Home environment risk factors for falls in older people and the efficacy of home modifications. Age and Ageing, 35(2), 55-59.
Moncada, L. (2011). Management of falls in older persons: A prescription for prevention. Am Fam Physician, 84(11), 1267-1276.
World Health Organization. (2007). WHO Global report on falls prevention in older age. Web.