Still Falling for You, Huh?

Angie SzumlinskiNews

While hearing is not typically considered a risk factor for falls, recent research demonstrated that there is a strong association between audiometric hearing loss and falls. In this nationally representative study of adults aged 40 to 69 years, greater hearing loss was independently associated with self-reported falls over the preceding 12 months. The magnitude of the association of hearing loss …

Patterns of Fall Interventions

Angie SzumlinskiNews

The Patient Safety Organization Privacy Protection Center (PSOPPC) was created to support the implementation of the Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD) as authorized by the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. Healthcare providers submit patient safety event data to Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), who in turn submit standardized versions of these reports to the PSO Privacy Protection …

Sleep – What’s All the Noise About?

Angie SzumlinskiNews

We all know how hard it is to lie awake at night but most of us don’t know how important quality sleep is for our residents. When we don’t have to get up for school or work and our hours and days begin to run together, every day is Saturday! Sadly, everyday isn’t Saturday and breaking a normal wake/sleep cycle …

My Aching Head

Angie SzumlinskiNews

We have all had a resident fall sustaining a significant head injury requiring hospitalization, simple right? What about the resident who is observed on the floor with no outward signs of injury? What do we do then? This is not a trick question but can be tricky all the same. A physical assessment with neuro checks is performed, all good, …

Cluttered Room

Clutter-Free Environment

Angie SzumlinskiNews

What does this mean to you? Think about it, every care plan/service plan for residents with memory loss and/or risk for falls says, “keep room clutter-free”. So, what exactly does that mean? We have seniors who have lived in cluttered homes their entire lives, some are even hoarders, and they have managed without our care plan/service plan of “clutter-free environment” …

Falls (Again)

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Falling is a common serious clinical problem and a leading cause of injury in seniors. The definition of a fall is an event that results in a person unintentionally coming to rest on the ground, floor, or other lower level with or without loss of consciousness or injury. In a recent study published in JAMDA, Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) measured at …

Let’s Talk About Falls

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Falls have been the bane of our existence since the beginning of time. Falls result in significant injuries to our seniors both in community-based housing and post-acute care settings. A significant number of admissions to post-acute care are initiated due to injuries related to falls. Then the family wants you to prevent grandma from falling, easier said than done right?  …

Cancer Medication – Increased Risk for Falls

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Bortezomib is a common multiple myeloma therapy that can cause treatment-related peripheral neuropathy, a risk factor for falls. The relationship between bortezomib and falls in older patients with multiple myeloma is unknown. In a recent study published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology, in older adults with multiple myeloma, bortezomib was associated with an increased risk of having a diagnostic …

Deprescribing Medications Related to Falls

Angie SzumlinskiNews

High-risk medications pose serious safety risks to older adults, including increasing the risk of falls. Deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults who have experienced a fall is a key element of fall reduction strategies. However, continued use of PIMs in older adults is common, and clinicians may face substantial deprescribing barriers. A study published on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov was conducted …

Frailty and falls in the elderly

Patient-Centered Fall-Prevention Toolkit

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Falls represent a leading cause of preventable injury in hospitals and a frequently reported serious adverse event. Hospitalization is associated with an increased risk for falls and serious injuries including hip fractures, subdural hematomas, or even death. A recent, nonrandomized, controlled trial assessed whether a fall-prevention tool kit that engages patients and families in the fall prevention process throughout hospitalization …