49321 Geriatric Patients: Fall Prevention Strategies

Course overview

Focuses on fall prevention strategies for geriatric patients, including factors that lead to falls in the elderly population, ways to prevent falls in the home or hospital setting, tools for assessing fall risk, community fall prevention programs, and ways to actively promote fall reduction strategies in older adults. Falling, particularly in the elderly population, is a serious health concern. In 2018, one in four older adults reported falling, totaling approximately 36 million falls with more than 32,000 older adults dying as a result of a fall. Falls can threaten the health and independence of the elderly, and it is important to recognize that falls are not a normal part of the aging process and can be prevented. Nurses and healthcare providers play an important role in fall prevention by properly screening and identifying those individuals at increased fall risk. By utilizing screening tools, nurses can help to identify at-risk patients and implement interventions that are appropriate for the individual patient, reducing the incidence of falls. This program discusses risk factors for falls, fall prevention strategies in the home or hospital setting, assessing fall risk, and community fall prevention programs.