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View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
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Learn MoreFatal falls among the elderly are on the rise in the United States, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC shares that “in 2016, a total of 29,668 Americans ages 65 and older died as a result of a fall. This means that falls ended the lives of 61.6 out of every 100,000 senior citizens in that year alone. Back in 2007, there were 47 fall-related deaths for every 100,000 senior citizens. That means the mortality rate due to falls increased by 31% over the course of a decade” (CDC, 2018).
However, falls are a serious risk across all ages of the population, not just the elderly. Again, according to the CDC, “Accidents and unintentional injuries are the fourth-leading cause of death for Americans of all ages (behind heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory infection). Falls are the most common type of accident or accidental injury” (CDC, 2018).
Falls Have Serious Impact on Senior Health
That being said, falls have an outsize importance for senior health. A recent LATimes article states that “About one in four senior citizens has a serious fall each year, experts estimate, and these falls prompt nearly 3 million visits to hospital emergency departments. Twenty percent of falls result in broken bones, traumatic brain injury or other significant problems. Once every 19 minutes, a senior citizen in America dies as a result of injuries sustained during a fall. Fatal falls have become more common for older Americans almost everywhere, according to the new study, which is based on data from death certificates from across the country” (Kaplan, 2018).
Aging and the increase in falls go hand in hand. As people age, “the greater their risk of dying from a fall. In 2016, there were 15.6 fatal falls for every 100,000 Americans between the ages of 65 and 74. Among adults ages 75 to 84, there were 61.4 such deaths per 100,000 people. And for those ages 85 and up, there were 247.9 fatal falls per 100,000 people. Since Americans are getting older, they should brace themselves for more fatal falls, the report authors warned” (Kaplan, 2018).
Falls in the Hospital
Falls are especially problematic in a healthcare setting. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers that “Each year, somewhere between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people in the United States fall in the hospital. A fall may result in fractures, lacerations, or internal bleeding, leading to increased health care utilization. Research shows that close to one-third of falls can be prevented. Fall prevention involves managing a patient's underlying fall risk factors and optimizing the hospital's physical design and environment” (AHRQ, 2018).
Identifying Fall Risks
Just because falls are common, they don’t happen to everyone, and there are preventive measures that are very helpful. The CDC reminds us that “Falls are not an inevitable part of aging. There are specific things that you, as their health care provider, can do to reduce their chances of falling.” The CDC has created a program aimed at fall prevention, named STEADI, which stands for Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries. It involves an array of tools and educational materials whose goal are to help healthcare providers:
3 Questions to Ask Your Older Adult Patients
A good place to start addressing fall risk in older adults is for clinicians to use the following CDC-recommended questions as a routine part of any exam:
The CDC suggests that if patients answer “yes” to any of these key screening questions, they are considered at increased risk of falling. Further assessment of the patient’s likelihood of falling is recommended.
References
AHRQ, “Preventing Falls in Hospitals: A Toolkit for Improving Quality of Care,” 2018, Retrieved at https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/fallpxtoolkit/index.html
CDC, “Deaths from Falls Among Persons Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2007–2016,” 2018, Retrieved at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6718a1.htm?s_cid=mm6718a1_w.
CDC, “STEADI-Older Adult Fall Prevention,” 2018, Retrieved at https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/index.html.
Kaplan, Karen, “Fatal falls are on the rise for America’s senior citizens,” LATimes, May 10, 2018, Retrieved at http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fatal-falls-rising-20180510-story.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=.
Training for preventing falls is an important component of HealthStream’s Post-Acute Care Library. Learn more here.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's Provider Credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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