Health Promotion

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. Through collaborative efforts from all healthcare, patients, and families we are also able to provide patients with better care outcomes. Educating everyone about fall prevention is a priority. A person with a history of falls increases the risk of falling again. Falls are the result of trips, slips, or unintentional situations, which results in resting on ground or floor. Falls are a major safety concern and the most successful fall prevention programs reduce fall rates by 30 per cent (Rutledge, & Schub, 2011). Hospitals have a fall treatment plans that includes attending physical therapy. However, improving the safety of environment will reduce distraction and potential of falls.

 Falls are the most common accident with the most serious consequences in older adults. For elderly with repeated falls, a bone density scan, or MRI may be ordered. Risk factors that make this a vulnerable population include bodily changes due to aging, older persons decreased strength, move slowly, balance problems, poor vision and poor judgment.

 Men have more serious fatal falls, but women fall more often. Therefore, education regarding household fall hazards needs to be distributed to all individuals. Falls resulting in fractures may have healing complications, along with complications of anatomical restoration, returning to living at home, pain, return to mobility, and other health related quality of life complications. Therefore, positive experiences can prompt everyone to continue exercising and ambulating in order to prevent falling.  But when a person experiences shortness of breath and or fatigue they will not want to ambulate or exercise for fear of falling again.

Fall prevention interventions include ensuring safety at all times. Healthy behaviors such as participating in exercise and using proper body mechanics results in fewer falls. Anyone with a history of falls needs to keep active. The goal of nursing care is to make health promotion a way of life for individuals, families, and communities.
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