How Nurses Can Prevent Falls
September 20-24th is Falls Prevention Awareness Week! It’s no secret that falls are serious, even life threatening, especially to adults over the age of 65+. According to the CDC:
3 million people
age 65+ are treated in the ER for fall injuries
1/5 falls cause serious injury
such as broken bones or head injury
Two-thirds of those who fall, will
fall again within 6 months
An older adult
dies from a fall every 20 minutes
1 in 4 people age 65+ fall each year, and
less than half tell their doctor
Although falls are common, they are not a normal part of aging. Many risk factors can lead to falls, but these can be changed and prevent falls from occurring. How can healthcare professionals help prevent patient falls? Here are some ways that nurses can help:
Provide personal care help in the bathroom and with dressing
Be on the lookout for items that are risks, including chords or rugs in nursing homes
Assist with standing up and walking
Provide medication reminders
Make sure residents have proper non-slips socks/shoes
Take free educational training through the
CDC’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) initiative
To learn more about fall prevention, visit the CDC’s website.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-FactSheet-MajorThreat-508.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/older-adult-falls/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/steadi_clinicianfactsheet-a.pdf