Well over a million older adults are living in nursing homes today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As Americans are living longer, the demand for long term care facilities is expected to grow. Experts predict a population of 3 million nursing home residents by the year 2030.
But it’s not the number of residents that poses a challenge to LTC facilities. It’s their unique health needs. The CDC says nursing home residents fall at twice the rate of seniors living in the community. Why does this happen? Because LTC residents tend to be more frail, have more health conditions, and take more medications than older adults in the general population.
No facility is immune to falls—even those with diligent staff and safe environments. But there are ways to minimize their frequency and severity. If you know why falls happen at LTC facilities and who’s most at risk, you’ll have the power to make your facility as safe as possible.
Residents at Highest Risk
Not only should your at-risk residents be identified right away, but the information should be easily accessible to staff so these residents can be closely monitored from day one. A number of factors contribute to fall risk, and studies have found some factors that contribute to fall risk specifically in LTC facilities:
- Previous falls, walking aid use, and moderate disability. These three factors are strong predictors of falling in nursing homes, according to a review and analysis of several studies.
- Medications. One study found a greater fall risk in residents who were taking antidepressants, sedatives/hypnotics, or vasodilators. The authors suggest that the medications a resident takes can be just as important—if not more so—than a diagnosis alone. In addition, medication use continues to rise, with statistics showing around 20 percent of the population using three or more medications, and 10 percent using five or more medications. Twenty years ago, those numbers were just 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
- Dementia. One study found that dementia alone can raise the risk of a resident falling, with or without other fall risk factors.
- Anemia. Evidence suggests that anemia increases the risk of falls in older adults both in LTC facilities and in the community.
What Works in the Industry
Unfortunately, there is no single measure that will prevent all falls. But LTC communities can create an effective prevention strategy by implementing what’s been shown to help:
- A multi-faceted program. No single intervention will prevent falls in LTC facilities, so a comprehensive program is essential. This may include assessing a resident’s fall history, mental status, impulsivity, vision, medications, and other measures to determine individual fall risk as well as staff training and a safe physical environment.
- Customized exercise. A study in the American Journal of Geriatrics Society suggests that group exercise classes may not be effective for fall prevention. Instead, residents may need individualized exercise regimens that fit their changing needs.
- Hip protectors. Although they won’t reduce the rate of falling, some researchers have found that hip protectors can reduce fall-related morbidity.
Looking toward the future, fall prevention efforts will be more important than ever as the population continues to age, people live longer, and more people take multiple medications.
Knowing the industry trends and latest research about falls in LTC can help you refine your own fall prevention efforts.
But be sure you’re looking at your own data, too. Industry trends are important, but they’re only part of the equation. Information from your own facility should be combined with recognized risk factors to help you develop a fall prevention program that’s effective for your staff and residents.
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