Exercise Interventions for Falls Prevention in Aged Care

Navigating Transitions 2018: Assessment 2 – Learning ResourceWorkbook
Template
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

Navigating Transitions 2018: Assessment 2 – Learning ResourceWorkbook
Template
Navigating Transitions Assessment Task 2: Learning Resource –Short Workbook template
Title of Workbook: Exercise Interventions for Falls Prevention in Aged Care
Student Name: Student Number:
Intended Audience: Assistant in Nursing (AIN) involved in aged care
Audience Learning Objectives:
 To incorporate awareness regarding the need for preventing falls and falls based injury
amongst elderly citizens
 To be able to adequately assist Registered Nurses in teaching required exercise strategies to
the elderly to prevent incidence of falls.
 To be able to impart awareness and supervision in teaching sufficient exercise strategies to
elderly patients.
Purpose of short workbook in addressing the identified learning need
In the field of critical medical treatment and conventional care pertaining to the recovery process
of the elderly population, the emerging incidence of falls forms a pressing concern. As opined by
the Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society, the incidence of occurrences involving
falls amongst the elderly is constantly on the rise, with almost a quarter of the population
belonging to the age group of beyond 60 years, being inflicted with falls once, annually (Canning et
al. 2015). There is a further need to prevent falls amongst the elderly due to the severe
implications of health projected due to occurrences of the same. Apart from being overcome with
a fatal threat of succumbing from injuries due to falls, patients involved in aged care also face the
susceptibility of additional harmful physiological consequences such the occurrences of fractures in
the neck, hip, arms as well as the trunk (Johansson et al. 2017). There is also an increased
susceptibility to suffering from damaging facial distortions as well as abrasions and bruises. The
incidence of falls amongst the elderly results in a debilitating condition, resulting in absolute or
substantial reductions in mobility, a sense of depression, isolation and aversions from social
interactions, in addition to significant weakness, malaise, loss in muscle mass and an increased
phobia towards future occurrences of falls (Luk, Chan and Chan 2015). Apart from the adoption of
enhanced nursing supervision as well as implementation of sufficient safety protocols aimed at
preventing the occurrences of falls amongst patients involved in aged care, the adoption of
exercise training programs has emerged as an additional preventive intervention strategy
(Sherrington et al. 2017). As stated by the World Health Organization, the implementation and
execution of adequate physical activity strategies, are a key solution which may mitigate the
harmful effects of ageing. Physical exercise categories which aim to incorporate training in
resistance, strength and balance, have been proven to implicate beneficial health outcomes
amongst the elderly through the enhancement and improvement of strength of the muscles
located in the limbs of the lower sections of the body (Sadeghi et al. 2017). The implementation of
adopting adequate teaching principles by nurses in order to aid in the execution of adequate
exercises in the elderly is lacking. Hence, the need of the hour is for nurses to adopt novel falls
prevention strategies in order to reduce incidences of the same amongst the elderly, and aim for
the incorporation of enhanced life outcomes and improved quality of life amongst the elderly
(Palvanen et al. 2014). As stated by the Depart of the Health, in the Government of Australia, the
functions of an Assistant-in Nursing (AIN), is emerging as a pivotal role involved as a helping hand

Navigating Transitions 2018: Assessment 2 – Learning ResourceWorkbook
Template
for the adequate performance of senior nurses involved as an Enrolled or Registered Nurse (Cowan
et al. 2015). While AINs are required to perform solely under the supervision an assistance of the
Registered Nurse, there is a need to obtain sufficient knowledge regarding the need for teaching
exercises as an intervention strategy to prevent falls amongst the elderly (Brett, Traynor and
Stapley 2016). The aims of this Learning Resource Workbook is to the highlight the salient features
which are required to be covered in teaching AINs the sufficient steps required to implement
correct exercise strategies amongst the elderly, and majorly assist their superiors in the patient
care and supervision of the same.
Learning Resource Rationale
The incidence of falls occurring amongst the patients involved in aged care is emerging at an
alarming rate, further resulting in the prevalence of injuries associated with the same and the
resultant debilitating health condition of the concerned patients. There is hence, a need for nurses
in advanced clinical roles, as well as their subordinates to incorporate sufficient novel strategies for
the prevention of falls as well the detrimental health conditions resulting from the injuries
pertaining to the same (Hujig et al. 2015). Incorporation of exercise has been documented as an
advantageous novel strategy to aid in the prevention of falls. In the light of lack of sufficient
teaching principles pertaining to the same, there is hence a need for assistants-in nursing (AINs)
involved in aged care of elderly patients, to learn and obtain sufficient knowledge regarding the
usage of exercise as an intervention, further utilising the information to efficiently assist registered
and enrolled nurses as well as elderly patients, for the implementation of the same for the purpose
of prevention of falls occurrences (Chang and Chang 2015). The following learning resource seeks
to efficiently educate and train assistants in nursing regarding the implementation of exercise as
intervention strategies to prevent falls amongst the elderly.
Aim of the Learning Resource
The aim of the required learning resource is to educate and train assistants in nursing (AINs) on the
usage of sufficient exercise strategies for the purpose of prevention of falls amongst the patients in