Assessment and Management of Fall Risk in Primary Care Settings Essay

respond to this post: The topic that I searched for in the CPG is the prevention of falls in older persons. The topic was easy to find in the clinical practice guidelines. The clinical practice guidelines states that it is recommended that all older adults who are 65 years and above be taken for annual screening for a history of falls or to find out if they have a balance impairment. The older adults need exercise that is particularly aimed at training them in balance, strength and gait. Physical therapy and administration of vitamin D supplemental therapy is also essential in preventing falls among the elderly. In preventing falls among the elderly, it essential to manage postural hypotension, vision problems, foot problems and footwear that they may have to help them with support.

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Response

Falls are the leading causes of injuries, disability, and morbidity in the elderly population. Most individuals, sixty-five and above years, fall annually, and half of such cases are recurrent falls. Falls can result in reduced quality of life and functional independence. In particular, hip fractures are serious fall consequences that can be traumatizing in the elderly. The risk of falling elevates with age due to various reasons, such as balance problems, acute illness, medications, vision problems, cognitive problems, environmental hazards, and overall weakness. Assessment and Management of Fall Risk in Primary Care Settings Essay.

According to Phelan et al. (2015), a clinical practice guideline published by the American Geriatrics Society and British Geriatrics Society on fall risk assessment, screening, and management states that older adults aged 65 and above should participate in fall risk screening annually. The fall screening comprises asking the patient about their fall history. If the patient affirms having a fall history or medication due to falls, they are at a heightened risk for falls and should undertake more assessments. Concomitantly, elderly individuals who have had a single fall without an injury or fracture should have their gait and balance assessed, and those with balance and gait deformities should undertake more assessments. However, one fall history that did not result in injuries and balance and gait issues does not need further assessment.

Balance exercises can be used to prevent falls in the elderly population. They build their strength and improve gait, stability, and coordination. Besides balance exercises, vitamin D supplementary and physical therapy can prevent falls. These strategies maintain muscle function and balance and help prevent fractures by minimizing falls risk. Additionally, falls can be prevented by managing vision problems, postural hypotension, and foot support. In doing so, the elderly can have normal balances and gaits.

Reference

Phelan, E. A., Mahoney, J. E., Voit, J. C., & Stevens, J. A. (2015). Assessment and management of fall risk in primary care settings. Medical Clinics of North America, 99(2), 281-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2014.11.004 . Assessment and Management of Fall Risk in Primary Care Settings Essay.