The primary duty of every health care center is to ensure that there services yield from that leads to the recovery and curing of their patients ailments. Patients are infected with many illnesses that are usually categorized into physiological and psychological. Most hospitals are concerned only with curing the physiological diseases once a patient visits a healthcare center. They don’t consider that maybe the cause of that physiological disease might have resulted from a psychological infection that the patient has. According to Jennings, it is required of a hospital during its curing process to look at both these type of illnesses since psychological infections might be hard to notice. Patients at risk of falling can also have other psychological problems. This can increase the rate that they fall. The management of any hospital should focus on creating a counselling department that will be dealing with this problem. They should then hire nursing psychologists who will be in charge of these department. Once a patient has entered a hospital, they should pass through this department before they are discharged. (Jennings, H. 2103).
Change Model Overview
Nurses should use the John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Process in their day today career of nursing as it provides the best guidelines in nursing practices. In this model, Hopkins has brought out three foundations of nursing: practice, education, and research. It is important for nurses to use research and non-research findings while making their decisions and for a practice to take place both internal and external factors opt to be considered. If these two are successfully carried out then implementation can take place. The outcomes are then measured and the findings can now be distributed. (Dearholt, S. et al. 2012)
The initial function of a hospital ought to be providing recovery and cure to its patients. These has not been achieved since in many cases only recovery is achieved. Patients might go home in good body condition but the psychological needs have not been cured. In patients who are at risk for falls, nurses usually struggle to cure their ailments in order to reduce the falls. What they don’t take into account is, why are this patients prone to falling? Implementing universal fall risk assessment will have better outcomes in helping this patients rather than just intervening for less movement. Most often, nursing home-based occupants fall. A population of about 1,800 old people that stay in nursing homes die from fall or related injuries. The ones who survive also die from the wounds. Others are rendered permanent disabled. 1.4 million Individuals who are above the age of 65 years live in nursing homes. If the present rates continue, by the year 2030 it is expected this number to have increased to about 3 million. The nursing home-based population’s 20%s deaths are as a result of falls. Yearly, a new home for nursing that has 100 has been reporting like 150 falls. Among this to 6% caused fractures. Not all this falls are usually testified. More than half of nursing home occupants fall yearly. A single patient is always reported to have fallen more than once. Those who are at more risk are patients who cannot walk and they account for about 35%. Falls result in disability. The fear to fall is also a problem. It can cause further damage of function, unhappiness, moods of helplessness and hopelessness, and communal separation. (Dearholt, S. et al. 2012)
Reason for falls in nursing homes
Mostly, falling comes as a sign of some health problems. People in nursing homes are commonly weaker than older adults staying in the community. Usually they are aged, have more long-lasting conditions, and have more problems in walking. They also tend to have retention problems and they are in great need of help of someone to walk them around. (Schilling, L. 2009). Falling may be increased by stress resulting from previous activities and memories.
Common causes of falls
- · Muscle weakness. These is responsible for around 24% of falls in nursing homes.
- Environmental problems like wet floors, poor lighting, incorrect bed height and bad wheelchairs result to around (16-27) % of falls among residents.
- Drugs that affect the CNS such as sedatives are also a course.
Prevention of falls
There are several fall prevention measures which include
- a combination of medical treatment, rehabilitation, and environmental changes
- Implementing fall intervention measures
- Guidance and counselling.
Fall interventions
Risk fall interventions that are supposed to be put in place are a number.
- First, it is important to asses’ patients after a fall to recognize and address risk influences and cure the underlying medical conditions.
- Secondly, educating the staff about the causes of falls and the prevention methods
- Making environmental changes like installation of grab bars, short bed heights and handrails in the hall ways in nursing homes to favor easy movements.
- Provision of hip pads that help in preventing hip fracture.
Introduction of exercise programs will make them strong and increase their balance. (Schilling, L. 2009).
Mobility and restraints
Restraints cannot in any way reduce the dangers related to falls or fall injuries. Moreover they should not be used as strategies for their prevention. The reason is that they can actually increase the risks of falls. Carrying out interventions for less movement to these patients it is a hindering factor to their health. Mobility strengthens a patients muscles and helps in bringing good circulation of blood. Currently the rate of physical restraint is about less than 10%. This is a drop compared to 1980s by 40%. Since the regulations took effect many nursing homes has marked a drop in falls although others still experience it greatly. Bed rails should not be associated with fall risks as they have never been the cause since time immemorial. . (Schilling, L. 2009).
Impacts of falls to health care centers
Falls are the main indicators of performance. Hospitals experience a financial stake in reducing the number of falls. CMS merged falls into a class under the (HAC) rules that became effective from 2008, hospitals were not to get any payment responsible for curing injuries caused by falls in hospitals.
Plan for implementation and evaluation
Education is the key factor in the implementation of this project. There is need for every individual to get educated on the psychological problems and how they can affect other illnesses. It has been clearly brought out that mental torture and low emotional intelligence might be the cause of falling in nursing homes. By use of non-governmental organizations and states, education can be provided internationally on psychological diseases, their prevention and cure.
A peaceful and happy world is the desired outcome of this project. A world in which patients are free to interact in personal issues with their doctors and nurses is what will be achieved when the project goes through.
Reduction in number of patients refusing to go to hospitals since they don’t want to share their problems with health practitioners is the measuring factor of this project. The feedback media houses will be getting and reporting about hospital environment will mark the success of this project.
Recommendation
Leaders are the one responsible to make sure that they are in good terms with consumers. They ought to act as pacesetters and not engage in absurd acts such as fraud. This will make consumers collaborate with them in providing funds through donations that will help hospitals.
This funds will in turn be used in giving out responsibilities some important things such as health promotion, illness prevention maintenance, rehabilitative responsibilities and health restoration.
These whole thing should first start in all health care centers so that they can lead as an example and be the pacesetters. It should then be agenda set in media houses to ensure its longevity and to reach a large number of people.
Conclusion
Hospitals are considered one of the fundamental resources in a society. Working flawlessly is the wish of every member of a community. It is the responsibility of those in place to maintain the good work they are doing and not to relax but find new ways of improving their services. Discovering other hidden ailments like personal stress is also their mandate. The biosphere will be a healthier environment to live in if the society will be free to mingle with their service providers. People ought to be taught on the significance of practicing, researching and education.
References
Jennings, H. (2103). Mercer County Community College. Psychological Disorders. Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://www.mccc.edu/~jenningh/Courses/documents/Handout-PsychologicalDisorders.pdf
Schilling, L. (2009). Preventing falls and eliminating injuries at ascension health. In Implementing and sustaining improvement in health care. Oak Brook, IL: Joint Commission Resources.
Dearholt, S., & Dang, D. (2012). Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice: Models and guidelines (2nd Ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International.
Falls in Nursing Homes. (2015, March 19). Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/nursing.html
Age and Ageing. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/2/194.full
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