The Selected Concern and Practices for Health Improvement
Despite multiple strategies implemented to reduce them, falls and fall-related injuries continue to affect the population of the United States. In different settings, be it nursing facilities, hospitals, or a person’s own home, older adults are disproportionately impacted by the problem of falls (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d.). In the elderly, the rates of deaths associated with falls are rather high even when it comes to people that are constantly monitored by qualified care providers (THHS, n.d.). Fall-related injuries in this age group remain one of the common reasons for emergency department visits, and, as per HP2020 objective coded OA-11, reducing the rate of such events is among the nation’s critical goals (HealthyPeople.gov, n.d.). Thus, the consequences of this health issue can be extremely devastating for senior citizens and their families. In light of this, it is of great importance to use every single opportunity for disseminating knowledge on fall prevention measures that anyone can easily implement at home.
Thanks to extensive research, there is enough evidence-based information on appropriate measures to achieve success in fall prevention. Individualized patient education focused on self-management and self-care skills to prevent falls is often utilized to keep senior patients aware of the existing risks (Sherrington et al., 2016). Home-based exercise programs aimed at improving walking and older adults’ mobility are also of benefit if designed in close collaboration with qualified professionals (Sherrington et al., 2016). Cost-effective and easy-to-implement fall prevention measures also include different assistive devices, including walkers and canes, and education on how to select appropriate devices and use them (Luz et al., 2017). Modern research suggests that such devices can help to reduce the risks of falling and minimize the negative consequences of falls if they occur (Luz et al., 2017). Thus, because of the problem’s significance, many effective ways to prevent falls have already been proposed.
Individuals/Groups that Might Benefit from the Education Session
As it has been said, older adults present the age group that is severely affected by falls and the state of fall prevention research. However, unlike the citizens living in nursing facilities, older adults that live independently do not receive special support and education on fall prevention, which can contribute to the risks of fall-related injuries (Grossman et al., 2018). In 2015, falls among independently living elderly citizens in the United States contributed to more than thirty thousand deaths (Grossman et al., 2018, p. 1696). Given the importance of consultation services aimed at keeping older adults aware of the most effective self-care practices to reduce falls, the population selected for the planned education session is presented by community-dwelling older adults (65 or older) in Houston, Texas.
The selected population may have a variety of concerns associated with fall prevention. The most critical concern is a lack of knowledge on how to choose assistive devices, the importance of exercise, and the links between lifestyle habits and the risks of falls (Grossman et al., 2018). By addressing these knowledge gaps in independently living older adults, it is possible to propel these citizens’ understanding of age-related changes and safety to the next level, which makes the planned educational session specifically important.
Expectations, Goals, and Suggestions
The planned education session will be targeted at common citizens that lack professional knowledge regarding falls and fall prevention measures. With that in mind, the session is expected to increase community-dwelling older adults’ basic knowledge regarding fall prevention, self-assessment, lifestyle recommendations, and evidence-based practices reducing the risks of getting fall-related injuries. Apart from that, the session is expected to increase the health literacy of independently living elderly individuals in terms of educational and counseling resources available in Houston and other cities of Texas.
The hypothetical audience includes independently living people (age 65 or older) in Houston, Texas. Planned education will not cover fall prevention in populations with specific diagnoses, which is why there are no exclusion criteria related to one’s health status. This population’s potential learning needs include getting accurate and research-based information on easily implementable fall prevention measures, including self-assessments, exercise, healthy habits, regular health checks, assistive devices, and so on (Grossman et al., 2018). Consequently, the health promotion goals are presented by addressing the listed knowledge gaps and providing the group with reliable tools helping them to assess their risks of falling and the need for medical visits. The selected population may include people with diverse health problems, including vision and hearing impairments, which is why it will be essential to present information in different formats to meet the group’s diverse needs.
Components of the Educational Plan
From safety considerations, the educational intervention aimed at community-dwelling elderly citizens can take the form of an online group lecture for five or more participants willing to gain new health-related knowledge. On a previously specified day, all participants will be invited to attend the online event (some will probably need help from computer-literate relatives), listen to the lecture, and ask questions. The lecture will discuss the problem of fall prevention with reference to the following subtopics:
- The size of the problem and outcomes of falls in the elderly;
- Risk factors for falls and related injuries;
- The use of self-assessment checklists;
- Health improvement recommendations for older adults: exercises and assistive devices;
- Helpful resources and links.
References
Grossman, D. C., Curry, S. J., Owens, D. K., Barry, M. J., Caughey, A. B., Davidson, K. W.,… Kubik, M. (2018). Interventions to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 319(16), 1696-1704.
HealthyPeople.gov. (n.d.). Healthy People 2020 topics and objectives: Older adults.
Luz, C., Bush, T., & Shen, X. (2017). Do canes or walkers make any difference? Non-use and fall injuries. The Gerontologist, 57(2), 211-218.
Sherrington, C., Fairhall, N., Kirkham, C., Clemson, L., Howard, K., Vogler, C.,… Sonnabend, D. (2016). Exercise and fall prevention self-management to reduce mobility-related disability and falls after fall-related lower limb fracture in older people: Protocol for the RESTORE (Recovery Exercises and STepping On afteR fracturE) randomised controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics, 16(1), 1-10.
Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Fall prevention and management.