Community Falls Support
It’s normal to find that from a certain age, a lot of people will find it difficult to get back up after falling and may need help. Carers frequently contact an ambulance for assistance as their first course of action, and senior living community members are no different. While you might be thinking that’s a prudent precaution, ponder this: At least once a year, one-third of adults over 65—and that number jumps to 50% for those over 80 will fall.
More than half will escape unharmed, not needing an ambulance or medical attention from a hospital. Perhaps most surprising of all is the fact that 50% of senior living community residents who are hospitalised after a fall will die within six months due to connected issues, even if they were not harmed!
Twenty percent of these people will have been on the floor for more than an hour!The problem is compounded by the fact that after a fall, there is a 60% chance of another one. This increases the likelihood of future falls by creating a vicious cycle that, for many people, results in diminished confidence, decreased activity, and eventually, loss of muscle strength.Why then aren’t assisted living facilities raising their residents?
There are several causes, in fact.
Employees could not have the proper tools or be properly trained in manual handling.
They might have been instructed to dial 999 to shield the neighbourhood from legal action in the event that a resident gets hurt while being raised.
They might even sincerely think that the wisest course of action for the resident who has fallen is to contact 999.No matter your age, we’re sure you can all agree that lying on the floor for prolonged periods of time is not pleasant, especially when there are so many different physical and psychological effects to consider:
Pressure Ulcers and Sores
Pressure ulcers, sometimes referred to as “bedsores” or “pressure sores,” are an injury that occurs within 30 minutes of falling and damages the skin and underlying tissue when an area of skin is subjected to high pressure, such as when lying on the floor for extended periods of time. The impacted area receives less blood because of the increased pressure, depriving it of nutrition and oxygen. These sores can be inconvenient, severe, or even potentially fatal, depending on how long the patient spends in the same position on the floor while recumbent.
Being incontinent
One of the most evident and inconsiderate outcomes of a patient being kept on the floor for prolonged periods of time is incontinence, which can lead to a variety of medical problems if the patient is difficult to clean, not to mention the psychological distress it causes.
Once more, consider your feelings in that circumstance.
Poor Hydration
Even though there is a much lower chance of dehydration in senior living communities, most fall victims still run the danger of experiencing it if they are left unattended for extended periods of time. Many people will choose to wait until they are upright again rather than having a drink while lying supine on the floor, which can be a dangerously long period to go without any liquids at all.
Low body temperature
Hypothermia or the heightened chance of becoming sick with infections such as pneumonia is one of the more dangerous outcomes of spending extended amounts of time on the floor following a fall. In a perfect world, a senior living community resident would trip and fall in a warm, heavily carpeted room, but that’s rarely how things work out in real life. Many falls occur outside or in passageways or halls with chilly tile floors. It goes without saying that this makes it much more difficult to keep the person warm while waiting for an ambulance.
According to psychological research published by a research Journal of Epidemiology, older people’s fear of falling will significantly lower their overall quality of life. Approximately thirty percent of older adults who have never fallen and sixty percent of those who have fallen fear falling.
The individual subsequently starts to reduce their everyday activities and grows less independent. Muscle strength deteriorates with increasing fear of falling and decreased exercise, which leads to an increasing number of falls.
In fact, it’s common knowledge that falls are the primary cause of initial admissions to assisted living facilities.
Furthermore, medical personnel who have sustained injuries from manual handling duties may develop reluctance to move or lift patients in the future and will be far more inclined to dial 999.
Patients’ health may be directly impacted by this, and pressure ulcers and other related problems may become more common.
Fatality
Lastly, 20% of adults over 65 who were hospitalised after suffering a fall had been there for more than an hour. Research shows half of these will pass away in less than six months.
What then can be done to address this? Have peace of mind that you can have professional support by us to act swiftly to reduce the risk of complications arising. With fast response time, vast in-depth medical knowledge, and all-round referral support at hand we will have you covered.
Give one of the friendly team a call on +44 (0)330 0438 438 to discuss your concerns or requirements, alternatively you can click here to send us a message and we will get right back to you.
