Falls in Hospitals: Impact and Prevention Strategies

Running head: FALLS IN HOSPITALS
FALLS IN HOSPITALS
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FALLS IN HOSPITALS
Introduction:
A fall can be defined as the event that results in individuals coming to rest inadvertently
on the ground or floor or other lower level. WHO have stated that fall related injuries might be
fatal as well as non-fatal and can result in associated burden physically, financially as well as
emotionally (Singh et al., 2015). Falls are mostly common among the aged people in the nation
that might be resulting from natural age-related musculoskeletal changes that are further
complicated by co-morbidities, chronic illness and insufficient physical mobility. This
assignment would show how falls taking place among hospital inpatients are affecting lives of
patients and health organizations and how nurses can reduce such incidences.
Incidence of falls related to functional decline and frailty in the older adult population 65
and older in hospitals:
Falls among the hospital inpatients are the most frequently reported safety incidents
almost in every nations of the world and Australia is not an exception. One of the data published
by Australian Burden of disease study in the year 2011 showed that falls are one of the leading
contributors of the total burden among the people who are aged 75 years and over and accounts
to about 2.8% above the age cohort of 95 years. The data published by AIHW (Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare) in 2018 had shown that one of the most common causes of
injury deaths were falls accounting or about 37% and the number was higher in case of females
where 535 of the cause of injury related deaths were because of falls only (Aihw, 2018). The
main causes of hospitalized injury were mainly falls accounting for about 41% followed by other
types of hospital acquired injuries. In the year 2015 to 2016, about 34000 hospitalizations
accounting for about 3.2 per 1000 hospitalizations had reported inpatient falls. The rate of falls in

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the public hospitals accounted for around 4.6 per 1000 hospitalizations. This number was much
higher in comparison to the inpatient falls in the private hospital that accounted for about 1.3 per
1000 inpatients. The differences in the rates in the public as well as private hospitals are seen to
reflect major differences both the in casemix as well as the recording practices.
Contributing factors for falls among older people in hospitals:
The most commonly identified risk factors for fall in the hospitalized patients have been
identified to be above the age of 85, a recent fall by the patient, gait instability, newly acquired
urinary incontinence of frequency as well as different types of adverse drug reactions and neuro-
cardiovascular instability. Many of the studies are also of the opinion that natural aging process
often places older adults at an increased risk of having a fall not only in hospitals but also in their
own homes and residing places (WHO, 2016). Three important reasons why older people are
more likely to have falls are the chronic health conditions like that of heart disorders, dementia
and low blood pressure which can cause dizziness in the patients. The other cause of falls among
the older people might be different impairments like that of poor vision as well as muscle
weakness. The other factor contributing to falls among people in the inpatient units is illness that
can affect balance like that of labyrinthitis which actually cause inflammation of the delicate
balance regulating different parts of the ear. The different types of chronic health conditions that
are listed above can sometimes lead to loss of balances as well as a brief loss of consciousness of
fainting as well as sudden feeling of dizziness (Health.wa.gov.au, 2016). All these might
contribute to falls in hospitals. Some of the other external factors in the hospitals that can
contribute to falls are wet or recently polished floors in the hospitals, dimly lighted rooms as well
as rugs and carpets that are not properly secured in the hospitals rooms. Falls can also occur in
patients when the nursing professionals do not keep the important things of the patient within

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their easy rich making patients try out on their own resulting in increased chances of falls
(Takanokura et al., 2015).
Impact of a fall on the individual and the health care system:
Falls among patients admitted in the hospitals are found to be associated with huge
number of negative outcomes not only for patient and family but also for the healthcare
professionals and healthcare organizations. Falls result in increased suffering of the patient
where their physical well being is compromised due to severe injuries like bruises, head trauma
as well as hip fractures that initiate unbearable pain among the patients. The patients are also
seen to suffer emotionally where they get frustrated because of the additional harm and suffering
caused by falls in hospitals in addition to the already present disorders they wanted to cure in
hospitals (Trinh et al., 2017). This in turn results in increased disappointments as well as loss of
trust on the healthcare professionals as the other could not provide sage and quality acre to the
patients. Apart from the loss of trust that results in affecting the therapeutic relationships
between professionals and patients, it also leads to additional financial flow thereby creating
financial burden on patient and family members. The professionals who could not prevent the
fall incidents are seen to suffer from guilty as well as loss of confidence that impacts their
practice as well (Cameron et al., 2018). The healthcare organization also has to spend additional
resources and funds as falls in hospitals are found to be associated with increased length of stay
of patients in hospitals, higher readmission rates and more detailed care by the professionals.
Loss of reputation and trust of public are also seen to be associated with hospital related falls.
Hence, nurses have the duty of the nursing professionals is to ensure that proper strategies for
management of falls need to be taken so that such situations do not arise among the patients and
high quality care is provided to each of them.