Lifestyle modification including cessation of smoking,
regular exercise, calcium and vitamin D supplementation is necessary to ensure
a healthy life style.
The Patient risk of
fall includes:
- Polypharmacy: taking four or more drugs at a time, especially sedating and blood pressure lowering medicines,
- Visual impairment,
- Depression or cognitive problem,
- Postural hypotension,
- Balance, gait or mobility issues (including stroke, Parkinson’s disease or joint disease).
The Environmental
risk of fall includes:
- Inaccessible lights and windows,
- Slippery floors,
- Steep stairs,
- Lack of safety equipment such as grab rails,
- Loose fitting footwear or clothing,
- Lack of lighting particularly on the stairs.
Older people who fall
should be called to specialist fall service, who:
- Have had previous fragility fracture,
- Scared of fall,
- Lives in unsafe housing conditions,
- Attended accident and emergency department following a fall,
- Called an ambulance following a fall,
- Two or more patient’s risk factors,
- Have had frequent falls,
- Falls in a hospital, nursing or residential area.
Interventions to
prevent risk of fall and damage associated with it as follows:
- Improve vision, if possible,
- Prevent postural hypotension,
- Reduce the medications especially the sedatives to prevent falls if possible,
- Improve the residential place,
- Treat osteoporosis,
- Occupation therapy to help maintain the balance,
- The use of hip protectors in the hospital or community services,
- Rehabilitation by physiotherapy to regain confidence.
No comments:
Post a Comment