Risk of Falls and Strategies to Reduce Fall Rates in Nursing Homes

Abstract

Falls are a serious concern among the elderly community and contribute danger through immediate harm as well as persistent risk that carries on after the fall. One in four elderly adults fall every year resulting in 32,000 annual deaths due to falls. After a fall, there may be weakness, ongoing pain, concussive symptoms, and loss of confidence. Falls are most likely to occur while attempting to stand up or sit down. Currently, there are many interventions in use to prevent falls such as alarms, restraints, hip protectors, and lowering bed height. Studies have found these interventions to be ineffective at reducing fall rates and fall injury. These measures are applicable for falls that occur while sitting or lying down and as such do not account for falls that occur while standing or while attempting to stand. International efforts using staff have shown promising results in reducing falls. This model may be applicable to the American nursing home. In this model, staff assist residents in everyday tasks and are available to help when residents need help standing up or sitting down. Currently, nursing homes are short staffed. Factors such as low wages, poor working conditions, and too many tasks per worker have been cited as contributing to low employment. Additionally, loose governmental regulations on the number of residents per nurse allow for nursing homes to be operational despite being understaffed. Prevention of falls may be best addressed through an active staff that routinely visits resident rooms and assists in walking, getting up, and sitting down. Staff should be responsible for eliminating trip hazards in patient rooms. The Biden administration announced efforts to improve nursing home conditions in early 2022. Governmental interventions in the form of mandating increased staffing and wages for nursing home staff may be effective at reducing fall rates within nursing homes.