Experience as regards the implementation of guidelines for preventing falls as part of interdisciplinary work in an elderly care unit

Abstract

Introduction. Falls are a serious public health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 646,000 falls per year, which have a fatal outcome, making them the second leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. The highest mortality rates associated with these falls are among senior citizens aged over 60 years. Falls can reduce senior citizens’ mobility, cause them to suffer from cognitive disorders and make them socially isolated, increasing the risk of subsequent falls, health costs and mortality rates. During the hospitalization process, intrinsic factors for elderly patients, added to the hospital conditions, generate an environment conducive to the occurrence of adverse events, driving health staff to take specific prevention measures focused on this age group in particular. This article aims to describe the implementation process of the guidelines for fall prevention and injury reduction of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) in the Elderly Care Unit (UCAM, for the Spanish original) of Clínica las Condes (CLC). Reflection topics. through an interdisciplinary approach that develops five main action points: acquisition of a specific infrastructure; procurement of medical and nursing staff specialized in elderly care; ongoing training that includes knowledge refresher courses on elderly care; and, finally, nursing supervision throughout the prevention process. Conclusions. The implementation of interdisciplinary strategies for preventing falls in senior citizens is a tool based on scientific evidence that reduces the cases of this adverse event and of the injuries that subsequently develop as a result of a fall during the hospitalization of the elderly patient.