Definition of the problem
Elderly patients face a significant number of risks due to reducing mobility, as well as poorer balance skills and changes in the musculoskeletal system (Vu et al., 2020). Therefore, preventing falls in the elderly must remain one of the core issues in geriatric care. Incorporating precaution measures into the existing standard for fall prevention will allow reducing the number of instances of falls among inpatients.
Identification of the Problem
Among the most frequent causes of falls in the elderly, loss of bone density and the resulting weakness in bones, as well as the drop in the ability of maintaining balance must be mentioned. Overall, key factors in affecting patients’ propensity to fall can be categorized as either environmental or individual. Specifically, falls can occur as a result of sensation in limbs being lost, as well as due to mental health issues caused by social problems, such as social isolation (Magdesh et al., 2020).
Setting in Which the Problem Occurs
In the hospital environment, falls may occur in a variety of situations. The most common scenarios to be taken into consideration include patients walking without the necessary aids and patients moving while being under the influence of medications. Falls may occur in hospitals, outside hospitals, and in houses for aging people.
Proposal to Address the Problem
To resolve the issue of patient falls, several steps should be taken. First, it is vital to scan the hospital setting for factors affecting elderly patients’ propensity to falls, removing these factors accordingly. Additionally, decluttering the hospital setting by removing the objects representing potential obstacles for elderly patients should be seen as an essential step. Finally, patients’ families must be informed about the threat to ensure that the target demographic remains safe in the outpatient setting as well.
Ethical Concerns
In addition, when introducing the proposed interventions, one should keep in mind the presence of several ethical concerns. Namely, the suggested spatial changes may result in patients without walking issues suffering inconveniences. Moreover, the suggested change may make aging patients feel more self-conscious, causing them embarrassment. Finally, more thorough research on the issue is needed to facilitate proper changes.
Legal Concerns
Apart from ethical concerns, several legal issues are to be kept in mind. Specifically, legal regulations for changes to the healthcare facilities, as well as changes to the policies for budgeting the facilities in question, will be required. Programs for outpatients and training for staff members will also demand budgetary cuts that may entail certain challenges.
Regulatory Concerns
- Additional patient care resulting in an increase in costs due to new functions performed by the medical personnel.
- The financial aspect of the fall innovations needs to be regulated.
- The implementation of the regulations about the issue takes time.
- Obligatory training for caregivers.
- New furniture and protective constructions at the hospital.
The regulatory concerns to be expected include increase in expenses and changes to time management. Specifically, additional patient care, caregiver training, and new furniture will demand significant investments. Furthermore, changes to the policies will have to be approved over a significant period of time.
Requirements for the Personnel
Due to the changes in the management of falls in the elderly, he staff will need to be educated on the subject matter. Health experts and nurses will need additional information about the nature of falls and the means of their prevention, including physical exercises to be conducted with patients and offering the latter extra healthcare services. Family education is also to be carried out to ensure the safety of elderly outpatients.
Why I Chose the Problem
The reasons for choosing the specified problem include personal and professional ones. As someone having aging relatives, I am aware of the challenges that the specified demographic encounters, and fully realize the threat of falls. Additionally, as a healthcare expert, I recognize the drastic effects that falls may entail in aging people.
Tools to Solve the Problem
To solve the issue of falls in aging people, an array of tools is currently used. For instance, walking devices and side rails are utilized to address the threat. Additionally, pain medications are utilized to address the patient-specific issues that may affect the situation. Finally, the services of caregivers are offered to support aging people prone to falls (Mitra et al., 2019).
References
Magdesh, R., Machiraju, P. K., & Alex, N. M. (2020). Fall in elderly during COVID-19 pandemic: A case report and review. Journal of the Indian Academy of Geriatrics, 16(3), 133-135.
Mitra, M., Basu, M., Karmakar, A., Saha, R., & Panda, S. (2019). Patient falls in a multispecialty tertiary care hospital in Kolkata: A discussion on the risk factors and the fall reduction strategies. International Journal of Research & Review, 6(12), 595-604.
Vu, H. M., Nguyen, L. H., Nguyen, H. L. T., Vu, G. T., Nguyen, C. T., Hoang, T. N., tran, T. H., Pham, K. T. H., Latkin, C. A., Tran, B. X., Ho, C. S. H., & Ho, R. C. M. (2020). Individual and environmental factors associated with recurrent falls in elderly patients hospitalized after falls. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 1-10.