Suicide In Nursing Home Essay

337 Words2 Pages

As working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a long term care rehabilitation facility, I encounter many elderly patients who are admitted for fall related injuries. The majority of patients are recovering from total knee and hip replacements as a result from falling at home or elsewhere. Fuller states, “Falls are the leading cause of injury related visits to emergency departments in the United States and the primary etiology of accidental deaths in persons over the age of 65 years…More than 90 percent of hip fractures occur as a result of falls, with most of these fractures occurring in persons of over 70 years of age” (Fuller, 2000, para.1).
There are many factors that can contribute to the reason why individuals, particularly the elderly, …show more content…

One important way is through Occupational Therapist Practitioners. Occupational Therapists and Assistants assist patients and elderly through education, safety, and home modification. The American Occupational Therapy Association (2012) provides tips on how to remove items in the house that can become potential hazards for falls. OT practitioners can work with the patient on home modification by arranging furniture to promote safety as well as creating and demonstrating proper equipment use, installing home modifications such as railings, anti-slip shower mats, and encourage active lifestyles that promote strength and conditioning.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2012). Fall prevention for people with disabilities and older adults. Retrieved Sept 23, 2015 from http://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/PatientsClients/Adults/Falls/FallPreventionwithDisabilitiesandOlderAdults.aspx
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.(n.d). Important facts about falls. Retrieved Sept 23, 2015 from http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html
Fuller, G. (2000). Falls in the elderly.American Family Physician,1:61(7), 2159-2168.Retrieved from