Falls and injury reduction in residential aged care: translating research into practice.
Falls and falls-related injuries are a major problem in residential aged care. While there are many factors contributing to falls in this group, there are also a number of strategies that can help reduce falls and associated injuries. While programs to prevent falls must be multifactorial and multidisciplinary, nurses in residential aged care will play a central role in setting up and coordinating such programs. This paper reviews a broad range of nursing, medical and allied health literature. It then synthesises the research findings to outline a comprehensive series of recommendations that nurses can use to improve clinical practice in this area.
Shanley
Chris
C
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, and Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, Sydney.
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D016330:Frail Elderly; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011482:Protective Devices; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety