Prevention of falling for the Elderly - Essay Example

With age she has become prone to falls and along with this her impaired vision due to cataract further contributes to the risk factors. As my patient’s aunt is suffering from Osteoporosis which could be due to decreased physical activity, changes in hormone levels, deficiency of Vitamin D, a proper care in these areas can help in alleviating her conditions to a great extent. To take care of deficiency of the essential nutrients the following points need to be taken care of – The lowered physical activity in the elderly can lead to reduced strength, muscle problems and loss of flexibility and bone mass.

This increases the risk of falls and to prevent it the following points need consideration- She can be engaged in regular exercises as this will increase the strength of her bones and muscles and will also work towards improving her flexibility and balance. As an alternative she can also go on regular walks. It is common for the elderly to suffer from vision diseases such as Glaucoma and Cataracts that can affect their peripheral vision, depth perception make it difficult for them to see in the bright lights.

All this can impact their ability to judge the environment and the following preventive tips can assist them greatly- The screening of fall risks is an efficient method of identifying people with a great risk of falling. There are a number of fall-risk screening tools with an accuracy of high to intermediate. The St Thomas’ risk assessment tool in falling elderly inpatients (STRATIFY) gives an accuracy of intermediate to high in the classification of fall risk. It is recommended in the case of nursing homes.

A stratify risk screen helps in calculating the risk scores. A score of 0 to 3 is assigned for ‘Transfer’ and also for ‘mobility’. A score of 3 is implies independence in the patient. The score is calculated from the state of the