A common dilemma nursing homes face and the elderly fall victim to are falls. Injuries could range from small bruises to fractures, brain injuries, or even death. Whether the injuries suffered by the victim are minor or substantial, the victim may nevertheless feel helpless and even discouraged from engaging in their daily activities. Falls are a huge phenomenon that exists and must be addressed. Thus, I will discuss potential fall prevention efforts that may assist in creating a safer environment for elderly residents in nursing homes.
First, I will discuss potential fall risk factors that may increase the likelihood of an elderly resident falling. Several factors including but not limited to medication interaction, medical history, slip/trip hazards, and dehydration may increase the likelihood of a fall. For instance, dehydration can pose a challenging obstacle for caregivers because of the intricacies involved with determining whether a patient is dehydrated. When residents are dehydrated, they may suffer from confusion and/or dizziness which significantly increases the risk of falls. Caregivers who work within nursing homes have a duty to provide proper hydration to residents (Nursing Home Abuse, 2019). This duty is breached when caregivers fail to take the necessary and prudent steps to prevent dehydration. Caregivers must ensure the safety of their residents by preventing any and all other risk factors that increase the risk of falls.
How can nursing homes and caregivers alike enhance their duty and prevent falls altogether? The answer appears to be self-explanatory on its face, however, we must consider and suggest efficient and crucial practices that will ensure our loved ones receive adequate care. Some practices include frequent rounding, gait belts when ambulating, railings, and ensuring belongings and necessary items are within reach. For long-term residents, assistive devices and activities of daily life assistance recommended by occupational and physical therapy are considered important interventions (Hill & Fauerbach, 2014). These assistive practices help promote independence, and essentially, contribute to the confidence of long-term residents. Although these practices may contribute to a safer environment for residents in nursing homes, they may not be successful without implementation.
We have to hold the nursing homes accountable as well. With that being said, I will discuss some actions that may facilitate and encourage caregivers to engage in these practices. Two major challenges arise when attempting to address the issues involving fall risk factors: (1) creating a culture where each employee knows they are accountable for preventing falls by eliminating fall risk factors to the best of their ability; and (2) initiating a policy in which faculty must perform risk and safety assessments (Wilder, 2014). These challenges could easily be satisfied by nursing homes if they were to implement strict, “no tolerant,” policies that require their caregivers and faculty to engage in these practices. However, as we know, nursing homes are primarily focused and concerned with dollar signs. Therefore, we as advocators of the law and justice, must hold nursing homes accountable both judicially and legislatively to effectuate a change in their practices.
References
Dehydration: Chicago Nursing Home Negligence Attorney. (2019, May 21). Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://coganpower.com/blog/nursing-home-dehydration/
Hill, E., RN, & Fauerbach, L. A., RN. (2014). Falls and Fall Prevention in Older Adults. Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting,25(2), 24-28. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
Improving your safety culture. (2014). Long-Term Living: For the Continuing Care Professional,24-26. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
Ben's Blog 