The PowerPoint provides a glimpse of how falls are common and cause injuries and deaths among the elderly. Prevalence indicates a rise in the number of death rates due to falls by 30% since the year 2007 (Aranda-Gallardo et al., 2018). The presentation states predisposing factors that lead the elderly to falls such as arrhythmias, eye vision problems, weakness in the lower extremities, poor footwear, home hazards, and dementia. The presentation addresses preventive techniques that nurses should use for their patients. Traumatic head injuries resulting from falls increase the healthcare costs incurred during the treatment phase. The presentation should have included the care for the elderly patients who have fallen and the role of family members in providing support at home.
Results of Falls in the Elderly
Elderly falls can result in debilitating conditions such as rhabdomyolysis. The infection leads to an injury that is subjected to muscles. The muscles’ fibers become dead, thus discharging their components into the bloodstream, complications such as kidney failure set in, leading to the body’s inability to excrete waste products. In rare circumstances, death emanates from rapid treatment yields to saving lives (Gamage et al., 2018). Additionally, falls predispose the elderly to osteoporosis leading to the bones being weak and porous.
Role of Nurse Practitioners in Curbing Falls
Nurse practitioners should offer health education on physical therapy, which will aid the elderly in preventing osteoporosis, balance disorders, and arthritis that may predispose the elderly to fall. The elderly should attend specialized programs that can help them maintain mobility and fitness. Similarly, nurse practitioners should provide health education to elderly patients regarding techniques aimed at finishing tasks in their day-to-day activities (Aranda-Gallardo et al., 2018). The motor skills, strength, and range of motion will be intact, preventing the falls from happening.
Nurses are obliged to teach the elderly patients balancing exercises such as walking heel to toe, standing on one foot, and walking in a line. Nurses should incorporate preventive care for upper and lower extremities (Gamage et al., 2018). Additionally, caregivers should advise the patients to always come for eye check-ups and provide prevention plans executed at home. Prevention of falls leads to reduced number of emergencies and averts detrimental effects such as breaking the bones, thus reducing medicare costs incurred during the treatment phase.
References
Aranda-Gallardo, M., Morales-Asencio, J. M., Enriquez de Luna-Rodriguez, M., Vazquez-Blanco, M. J., Morilla-Herrera, J. C., Rivas-Ruiz, F., Toribio-Montero, J. C., & Canca-Sanchez, J. C. (2018). Characteristics, consequences and prevention of falls in institutionalised older adults in the province of Malaga (Spain): A prospective, cohort, multicentre study. BMJ Open, 8(2), e020039. Web.
Gamage, N., Rathnayake, N., & Alwis, G. (2018). Knowledge and perception of falls among community dwelling elderly: A study from Southern Sri Lanka. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, 2018. Web.