Falls and injury reduction in residential aged care: Translating research into practice
Chris Shanley
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Sydney; Assistant Director Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, Sydney NSW
PP: 081 - 093
Abstract
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.
Keywords
accidental falls; nursing homes; nursing care; injury prevention; risk assessment
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