Fall Prevention among the Elderly
Fall Prevention among the Elderly
Fall Prevention among the Elderly

Prepare this assignment as a 1,500-1,750 word paper using the instructor feedback from the previous course assignments and the guidelines below. PICOT Question Revise the PICOT question you wrote in the Topic 1 assignment using the feedback you received from your instructor. The final PICOT question will provide a framework for your capstone project (the project students must complete during their final course in the RN-BSN program of study). Research Critiques In the Topic 2 and Topic 3 assignments, you completed a qualitative and quantitative research critique on two articles for each type of study (4 articles total). Use the feedback you received from your instructor on these assignments to finalize the critical analysis of each study by making appropriate revisions. The completed analysis should connect to your identified practice problem of interest that is the basis for your PICOT question. Refer to \”Research Critiques and PICOT Guidelines – Final Draft.\” Questions under each heading should be addressed as a narrative in the structure of a formal paper. Proposed Evidence-Based Practice Change Discuss the link between the PICOT question, the research articles, and the nursing practice problem you identified. Include relevant details and supporting explanation and use that information to propose evidence-based practice changes. General Requirements Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Falls pose major concerns among the elderly both at homes and in the hospitals. They affect the quality of life, increase healthcare costs and hospital stays and as well as render the affected persons dependent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falls cause approximately 646 000 deaths annually with the low and middle income countries representing 80% of these deaths across the world. Falls that are severe enough for medical attention amount to 37.3 million every year with the greatest number of fatal falls reported among adults with 65 years of age and above. According to a systematic review by Dolatabadi, Ooteghem, Taati and Laboni (2018), increased fall risks among geriatrics are widely linked to gait and balance problems. Fall prevention educational sessions for community‐dwelling physical therapy patients impacts fall prevention (Ott, 2018). Fall Prevention among the Elderly

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PICOT Question

For elderly adults community‐dwelling physical therapy patients of 65 years and above, do fall prevention educational sessions reduce the rate of falls in six months?

Proposed Evidence-Based Practice Change

The proposed evidence change is the introduction of education session intervention for the community dwelling physical therapy patients. this change seeks to reduce the rates of falls in patients at the community level with balance issues and frequency of falling and particularly the older adults aged 65 years and above. This population is considerably prone to falling due to lifestyle and health issues associated with the aging factor (Opsahl et al., 2017). This consequently necessitates the need for an intervention as a strategy to promote prevention and reduce the consequences and risks of falls.

Patient education provides tips on how to maintain balance and physical health in general in order to reduce the probability of falling. Since falls are the highest causes of injury among the elderly population, patient education programs coupled with physical therapy becomes an essential strategy geared towards improving the quality of life of this group of people in the community. Education creates awareness of the causes of falls and suggests the possible ways to maneuver through the risk factors. For instance, this project will entail providing evidence-based strategies that have successfully reduced fall rates in community dwelling individuals.

Health education on falls will be incorporate to the patient’s treatment regime and physical therapy for six months that the project is set to learn. It will entail the identification of high risk patient and help them identify the possibility of falling and the associated factors. This will facilitate prevention through the elimination of the facilitators of falls such as obstacles. Consequently, the evidence based change will provide safety companion measures which involve support from other community members in areas of increased fall risks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). This will guide the disoriented patients with problems in following the right directions and as well those with poor vision and health conditions associated with poor balance.

On the other hand, the change will involve enlightening patients on hoe to keep body with different activities that improve both the physical and mental wellbeing. the patients will also be taught on the nutritional supplements that improve physical wellbeing and balance and the clothing that ca help prevent falls in different floor types. These include flat shoes and non-slip socks among others (Opsahl et al., 2017). In addition, patient education sessions will teach the patients on the organization of the home and proper lighting that supports clear vision. They will also be taught on the types of floor that discourage falling as well as the importance of installing rails particularly along the staircase for support. Fall Prevention among the Elderly

The change intervention, patient education program for fall patients in the community, is important in prevention which is considered to be highly successful by different research studies conducted previously (Dotson, 2018). Therefore, it is an effective measure to preventing falls among the elderly.

Discuss the link between the PICOT question, the research articles, and the nursing practice problem you identified.

Study 1

According to a systematic review by Dolatabadi, Ooteghem, Taati and Laboni (2018), increased fall risks among geriatrics are widely linked to gait and balance problems. The problem addressed in the study is the fall risks in the elderly as associated with gait and balance impairments related to dementia. Falls lower the quality of life, increase mortality rates, dependence, cause injuries and affect functional abilities as well as increase the caregiver burden (Dolatabadi et al., 2018). The significance of the study to nursing is that dementia is a common mental condition among the geriatric population. Linking evidence of fall risks to dementia informs the nursing practice promoting evidence-based practice. The study also adds and as well critiques the quantitative data available regarding falls in the elderly. The study sought to answer the research question, “Are the progressive impairments of gait and balance through the course of dementia associated with increased risk of falls?” and hence the aim was to determine whether or not quantitative measures of gait and balance can be used as predictors of falls among older adults with dementia.

Study 2

The study by Ott (2018) evaluates the impact of implementing fall prevention educational session for community‐dwelling physical therapy patients. It examines the fall risk knowledge, interventions and the number of falls taking place among persons engaging in physical exercise. The increase in the global population has increased the elderly population and consequently their health concerns. Therefore, the study is significant in adding knowledge regarding elderly falls and promotes collaboration among between the health providers and physical therapists in gerontology. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of a fall prevention educational session on fall risk knowledge, use of fall prevention interventions and the number of falls in community‐dwelling older persons attending physical therapy and it seeks to answer the research question, “What is the impact of implementing a fall prevention educational session for community‐dwelling physical therapy patients?”

Study 1

The PICOT question of the study is as follows; “Can older adults with dementia (P) be predicted using quantitative measures of gait and balance (I) compared to none (C) can be used as predictors of falls (O) within 24 months (T)?” it seeks to support that the impairments of the gait and balance have been long associated with elderly falls by multiple studies. The critical analysis of these past studies seeks to determine the authenticity and validity of the evidence in order to draw an informed predictive conclusion considering the inconsistencies observed in the data. For instance, the results align with the previous research findings that quantitative measures of gait and balance can predict falls among the elderly with dementia (Dolatabadi et al., 2018). It also improves the fall prevention efforts among the elderly and increases the understanding of the relationship between gait, balance, and fall risk, particularly in high-risk populations such as individuals with dementia (Dolatabadi et al., 2018). Fall Prevention among the Elderly

The results of the study are beneficial to the PICOT question in that they link evidence to theory and suggest the best possible research outcomes. They also explore the possible causes of falls among the elderly in the community suffering from mental health conditions. Dolatabadi et al. (2018) found out that quantitative measures of gait and balance can be used as predictors of falls among older adults with dementia. The results add to the already existing body of knowledge that mobility assessment is effective in identifying individuals with dementia at high risk for falls and hence will inform my project with evidence-base knowledge.

Study 2

The PICOT Question to the research is, “Do community‐dwelling older persons attending physical therapy (P) and education intervention session (I) compared to those not attending (C) present increased fall risk knowledge (O) within 60 days (T)?”It seeks to identify and examine the role of education intervention on the falling risks of community dwelling patients among the geriatric population. Falls among the elderly presents fatal consequences which include deaths, disabilities, social and economic burden among other negative outcomes. The study supports the management of falls through the provision of evidence regarding the efficacy of physical therapy and educational sessions.

The research adds to the existing knowledge on geriatric health and engages the stakeholders in fall prevention conversations that could lead to prevention and development of policies through the acquired findings. According to Otto (2018), there is an increase in fall risk knowledge and implementation of fall prevention techniques within 60 days of using a two‐session educational intervention. The results of this study will be essential in informing my research and guiding my study on the expected outcomes.

In general, my anticipated outcomes for the research are that there are increased fall rates in gerontology caused by lack of awareness and knowledge as well as gait and balance impairments related to mental disorders. Both articles note the increased fall risk concern among the geriatric population. Otto (2018) is concerned found out that education sessions are essential in fall prevention and increase of awareness. On the other hand, Dolatabadi et al. (2018) acknowledges the predictability impacts of gait and balance impairments in the assessment of fall risks among the patients with dementia. The outcomes from these studies will inform my research and create a foundation of what outcomes to expect. Fall Prevention among the Elderly

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Conclusion

Falls are major concerns in healthcare particularly among the elderly. They present multiple risks that include disabilities, deaths and increased hospital admissions, loss of independence, prolonged hospital stays and heightened healthcare costs. The causes of falls can be poor vision, mental health issues, poor lighting, slippery floors, balance problems, physical disabilities and other medical conditions. Mental disorders increase the fall risks as they affect the balance of the patients. Creation of awareness on falls as well as patient education regarding fall prevention facilitate reduce the risks of falls in the elderly. The integration of physical therapy is also relevant in improving balance and physical wellness of an individual thus reducing the falling chances. It is also evident that quantitative measures can be used to predict fall risks while creation of health awareness facilitates prevention

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). (CDC).Talking about Fall Prevention with Your Patients. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/Talking_about_Fall_Prevention_with_Your_Patients-print.pdf

Dolatabadi, E., Van Ooteghem, K., Taati, B., & Iaboni, A. (2018). Quantitative mobility assessment for fall risk prediction in dementia: a systematic review. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 45(5-6), 353-367.

Dotson, R. (2018). The Effect of Fall Prevention Education that Includes a Fall Safety Agreement on Fall Incident Rates.

Opsahl, A. G., Ebright, P., Cangany, M., Lowder, M., Scott, D., & Shaner, T. (2017). Outcomes of adding patient and family engagement education to fall prevention bundled interventions. Journal of nursing care quality, 32(3), 252-258.

Ott, L. D. (2018). The impact of implementing a fall prevention educational session for community‐dwelling physical therapy patients. Nursing open, 5(4), 567-574. Fall Prevention among the Elderly