Fall Prevention in Older Adults
Population 65 year old and above in hospital care setting
Introduction. References within 5 years
- Background and Significance of the Problem
- Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study
Research Questions, Hypothesis, and Variables with Operational Definitions
- Research Question
- Hypothesis: Research and Null
- Identifying and Defining Study Variables
- Operationalize Variables
Sample Paper
Fall Prevention in Older Adults
The rate of falls in older adults is relatively high, making it a concerning issue especially on the impact it has on the health and quality of life of the population (Vaishya & Vaish, 2020). Falls can lead to serious health effects and worse, can lead to death. Interventions to prevent falls in the elderly are recommended for safety improvement, improved health outcomes, and quality of life.
Background and Significance of the Problem
Older adults of age 65 years or more have a higher risk of falling. Falls are the leading cause of injuries among the older population. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that around 36 million falls are reported among the elderly, with around 3 million fall cases causing injuries every year. Falls have also been reported to be a major cause of death among the elderly population. The report by CDC indicates that about 32,000 deaths of the elderly are reported annually due to falls (CDC, 2020). The high risk of falls by the elderly is mainly due to aging factors such as weakening bone and muscle strength, reduced body balance, and poor eyesight. Environmental factors that increase the risk of falls include slippery floors and surfaces, poor lighting, and uneven surfaces with obstacles that may cause tripping and falling.
Falls harm the health and quality of life of older adults. Injuries resulting from falls include head injuries, hip fractures, and brain injury. The injuries can lead to hospitalization, while others may lead to physical disability (Vaishya & Vaish, 2020). This leads to a loss of independence, causing them to depend on assistance from caregivers to do even the simplest activities such as personal care. Falls also cause an increased financial burden due to treatment costs of associated injuries. CDC reports that around $50 billion is used annually for the treatment and care of fall victims (CDC, 2020). These negative impacts make falls to be an issue of concern for the health of older adults, hence the need to address the problem for improved outcomes.
Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study
Falls are one of the leading contributing factors to poor health outcomes among the elderly population. The high risk of falls is concerning as it poses a threat to the safety and health of the victims (Lee & Song, 2018). Efforts to prevent and reduce the incidence of falls have been made, but have not yet achieved the ultimate goal of effective goal prevention. A new fall prevention protocol is proposed to facilitate effective fall prevention. The intervention involves customized strategies developed to address individual needs for fall risk prevention (Spano-Szekely et al., 2019). The research purpose is to investigate the effectiveness of new fall prevention protocols in the prevention of falls in the elderly population of 65 years or older.
Research Questions, Hypothesis, and Variables with Operational Definitions
Research Question
Among older adults of ages 65 years or older, are new fall prevention protocols, compared to the existing care routine, effective in fall prevention in three months?
Hypothesis
Research Hypothesis– The new fall prevention protocols are effective in reducing the number of falls among the older adult population aged 65 years or older.
Null hypothesis– The new fall prevention protocols are not effective in reducing the number of falls among the older adult population aged 65 years or older.
Identifying and Defining Study Variables
The study has both dependent and independent variables. The dependent variable is fall prevention, which will be used as a measure of the expected outcome. Fall prevention is influenced by the effectiveness of the intervention used. The independent variable is new fall prevention protocols, which is the intervention used to address the problem. The influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable will be determined by the outcome at the end of the study.
Operationalize Variables
Fall prevention is operationally defined as putting a stop to the occurrence of falls. It is measured by the reduction of the number of falls among the population (Lee & Song, 2018). Perfect prevention is indicated by zero falls. New fall prevention protocol is operationally defined actions developed to address the fall risk factors for effective fall prevention. Its effectiveness is measured by the rate of fall prevention at the end of the study.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 30). Facts about falls. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
Lee, Y. H., & Song, G. G. (2018). Interventions to prevent falls in older adults. JAMA, 319(13), 1382. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.0204
Spano-Szekely, L., Winkler, A., Waters, C., Dealmeida, S., Brandt, K., Williamson, M., Blum, C., Gasper, L., & Wright, F. (2019). Individualized fall prevention program in an acute care setting. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 34(2), 127-132. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncq.0000000000000344
Vaishya, R., & Vaish, A. (2020). Falls in older adults are serious. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics, 54(1), 69-74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43465-019-00037-x
