GERIATRIC SYNDROMES: FALLS & INSTABILITY

Falls are a frequent problem of aging and they can be responsible of an important health's loss in the older persons. In addition, falls can cause moderate to severe injuries, such as hip fractures and head injuries, and can increase the risk of early death. 
For this reason, it's very important to prevent falls in older persons with high risk of fallen.

Elderly people who have a high risk of fallen are:

• People > 75 years and/or with history of falling.
• People who have visual and auditory problems.
• People who have central nervous system disorders such as dementias or deliriums (cognitive impairment).
• People with disabilities such as gait and balance disorders.
• People who have some chronic pathologie.
• Frail elderly and muscle weakness.
• Emotional disorders such as confusion, depression or denial's physical limitations.  
• The more medicactions person take, the more likely person is to fall.
• Some medications can increase a person's risk of falling such as hypnotics, antidepressants, diuretics, antihypertensives and sedatives. The most important factor to predict falls is the sedative's consumption.

PRIMARY PREVENTION

Fortunately, is a public health problem that is largely preventable. For this reason, I think that nursing must be alert to launch a falls prevention plan and have many skills to explain this population which are the most higher risk situations.

In this way, nursing can prevent falls and all its physical consequences such as contusion, bruises and fractures or psychosocial consequences post-fall syndrome (first, decreased mobility and inability to perform daily living's activities caused by the pain and bruises and finally, caused by the anxiety and fear of falling again)

I found these videos which explain the foundations of primary prevention of falls: 

• EXERCISE
• HOME CARE

To value the risk of fall, nursing should use the following scales: 

• TINETTI'S SCALE
• TIME-UP AND GO
• DOWNTON SCALE

Bibliografía

• CDC
• NIH