"Implement fall prevention strategies

CASE STUDY A:

 

Mrs Brookes is 78yo and has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She has a history of failing, nothing serious to date just severe bruising. Mrs Brookes' family have moved her into an aged care facility as they felt they could not provide adequate care.

Mrs Brookes, on occasion, wanders off and gets lost in the facility. Once the care staff locate Mrs Brookes they validate her feelings and redirect her back to her room.

The family brought some personal and familiar items from home for Mrs Brookes to have in her room.

She was also fitted with soft-shield hip protectors and given both vitamin D supplementation and calcium.

Care team members are checking that Mrs Brookes is wearing the hip protectors and taking her vitamins daily.

 

Explain why Mrs Brookes was wearing soft-shield hip protectors?

What are the benefits of providing Mrs Brookes with vitamin supplements?

How will Mrs Brookes care team members monitor her progress?

Explain why it is necessary to discuss the care plan with Mrs Brookes and what factors you need to take into consideration.

CASE STUDY B:

 

Mr Johnston is 90yo and lives in a residential aged care facility. He has dementia and walks under staff supervision. His family requested that the care team raise the bed rails when he is in bed, as they were concerned he would get up without assistance and fall.

The care team discussed with the family the potential for injury if he manages to climb over the raised bed rails as well as informed them of their restraint reduction policy, which targets the reduced use of bed rails.

The care team repeated a falls risk assessment and developed a management plan aimed at reducing Mr Johnston's risk of failing. They addressed the risk factors for failing, including a medication review and reduction in medication. Mr Johnston was also issued with hip protectors, the bed was lowered when Mr Johnston was in it and positioned against a wall. They ensured all he needed was within his reach.

Despite their efforts Mr Johnston's family remained adamant that the bed rails be raised.

 

Identify the issues in this situation?

Who did the care team discuss Mr Johston's situation with and why?

Why is it necessary to review the outcomes of fall prevention strategies?

Who should be involved with the review and celebration of positive results?

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Last week Mr Johnston got up from bed without assistance, climbed the bed rails and fell onto the floor breaking his hip.

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       .5. What process do you follow if strategies have not had the desired results?

       .6. Who would you need to consult to determine future strategies?

       .7. What documentation and reporting is required to meet organizational policy and

            protocols?"

 

 Case Study A

 

 1. What could have motivated Mrs. Brookes to be wearing soft-shield hip protectors? 

 

 Purpose of Hip Protectors:

 - Fall Prevention: Soft-shield hip protectors intend to armor the hip place and to preserve those parts of the human body from the effect of a falling mass, so they should decrease the threat of hip fractures; this is especially important when it comes to elder individuals and those with osteoporosis.

 - Injury Reduction: Due to the fact that Mrs. Brookes has been falling frequently and she was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which expose her to the risk of wandering and developing disorientation, the hip protectors are helpful in the prevention of the extreme extent of falls.

 

 2. What is to be gained if Mrs. Brookes is encouraged to take vitamin supplements? 

 

 Benefits of Vitamin D and Calcium:People also use it to avoid thinking, as a form of distraction, or just to procrastinate on necessary chores.

 - Bone Health: Dietary consumption of vitamin D and calcium is for the good health of bone density and strength. Taking these nutrients with others assists in avoiding situation of osteoporosis and fractures which is well embraced by the elderly as they are most likely to fall due to their age.

 - Enhanced Absorption: Calcium needs to be absorbed and vitamin D play an essential role in helping the body absorb this mineral hence making the supplementation of the vitamin more effective in enhancing the body bone health.

 

 3. How will the various members of Mrs. Brookes’ care team be able to track her progress? 

 

 Monitoring Strategies:

 - Compliance Checks: The care team will continually check on Mrs. Brookes and make sure that she is putting on her hip protectors and is taking her vitamin supplements as directed.

 - Fall Tracking: They will record any cases of falls or near-falls, determine if the hip protectors and supplements have reduced the number of falls and the consequent injuries.

 - Regular Assessments: Take vital signs on her periodically and observe her mobility and safety within the facility in order to determine if she requires increase or decrease in care.

 

 4. ELaborate on the reasons for involving Mrs. Brookes in the care plan discussion and the factors you should consider while doing it. 

 

 Importance of Discussing the Care Plan:Here, a red line is drawn at fully scientifically supporting only what has been accomplished in the organizational learning paradigm: >

 - Patient-Centered Care: As much as the client has Alzheimer’s diseases, it’s important to discuss the care plan in order to keep checking on her needs and therefore improve on her comfort by considering her views.

 - Understanding and Consent: Explaining the care plan to her, even if she may not understand it fully, and getting her consent aids in building trust and make sure she I being given care that is consistent with her belief system.

 

 Factors to Consider:

 - Cognitive Limitations: Take her down to her cognitive level, use a simple language and assure her about her care plan.

 - Family Involvement: Involve family members also in the discussion as they can offer more support and voice Mrs. Brookes’ best interest.

 - Safety and Comfort: Make sure that the care plan covers safety, as well as comfort and is the least invasive as possible.

 

  Case Study B

 

 1. It is necessary to determine what problems can outcome from this scenario. 

 

 Issues Identified:

 - Family Concerns vs. Best Practices: The power struggle between the family and the care team is brought out by the family raising the side rails regardless of the care team’s alerts on the possibility of the child being injured through the restraint reduction policy.

 - Injury from Fall: The current fall precautions in place, it can be seen, were not effective in preventing falls and consisted of such elements as bed rails, to the result such as the situation with Mr. Johnston, nursing a broken hip.

 

 2. To whom did the care team communicate about Mr. Johnston’s condition and why? 

 

 Discussion and Rationale:

 - Family: Speaking to the family members, the care team described the concerns, educated them about potential dangers of bed rails, and explained the facility’s restraint minimisation plan to Mr. Johnston.

 - Interdisciplinary Team: The care team also presumably consulted with other healthcare providers about Mr. Johnston’s case (e. g. medical doctors; occupational therapists) regarding a risk management approach pertaining to his falls.

 

 3. Why is there then the need to review the outcomes of the measures that have been put in place to prevent fall incidents? 

 

 Necessity of Review:

 - Effectiveness Assessment: The outcomes require reviewing to identify the effectiveness of the strategies used in the prevention of falls as well as whether the strategies fulfill the patient’s needs.

 - Identify Gaps: It makes it possible to pinpoint any deficiencies or poor outcomes of existing approaches so as to change or implement other course of action.

 - Continuous Improvement: These include: maintaining a schedule for reviews to enhance the perpetuity and efficiency of evaluating and enhancing the protective strategies for the patients prone to falls.

 

 4. To whom should review and celebration of positive results be taken? 

 

 Involvement:

 - Healthcare Team: Engage the personnel of the care team that actually put into practice and assessed the effectiveness of the measures against falls.

 - Family: Engage the patient’s family in order to report the previous day’s accomplishments, discuss any present or potential issues, and promote a multidisciplinary, collaborative environment.

 - Patient (if applicable): Incorporate the patient into appreciation as well as recognition of changes in the care plan and the results.

 

  For Mr. Johnston's Fall

 

 5. That’s the procedure you have in mind if strategies have not produced the expected outcome? 

 

 Process:

 - Re-Evaluate the Plan: Compare the current Fall prevention strategies that are in place to come up with a shortcoming’s or areas of improvement evaluation tool.

 - Conduct a Root Cause Analysis: He needs to research on possible gaps that may have been left in implementation of the strategies, or new risks that may have been discovered as the strategies were being implemented.

 - Develop and Implement Revised Strategies: Outline and put into practice the new or altered interventions in response to the findings focused on the problems and the risks.

 - Monitor and Evaluate: Periodically reviewed the implementation of the revised strategies and further modify the strategies as and when necessary.

 

 6. In other words, who would suggest you be consulted to learn future strategies? 

 

 Consultations:

 - Interdisciplinary Team: Consult physicians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other related medical practitioners for an all round input on the issue of falling.

 - Patient and Family: Encouraging the patient and the family to find out how they feel and what they expect especially in matters they understand can become important in the progress of treatment.

 - Safety Experts: In the implementation of the said strategies, a safety and risk management consultants should be consulted for the approval of the safety officers and risk management authorities.

 

 7. To what extend and how often does the organisation require documentation and reporting to adhere to its policy and protocol? 

 

 Documentation and Reporting:

 - Incident Report: Record the process of the fall occurrence, the reasons for the case, and possible complications or symptoms experience by the person.

 - Assessment Records: Record new findings of fall risk assessments, alterations in the care plan, as well as the outcomes of strategies that have been applied.

 - Care Plan Adjustments: Document any changes to the care plan or any implemented interventions that resulted from the assessment and review.

 - Compliance Reports: It can be crucial to make sure, that all the mentioned documentation corresponds to the fall prevention and safety policies and procedures of the organization.

 

 Thus, by targeting these aspects, you can guarantee the applicability of precise fall prevention and management approaches conforming to the best practice and organisational guidelines.