Question

Falls Scenario: What Should You Do?

You are caring for Mrs. Glinda Sanchez, who lives in a large, old house. While she has no memory problems, she does have arthritis and issues with vision. It is sometimes difficult to get her to wear her glasses because the wide frames and thick lenses make her feel old. Additionally, she has a walker that she does not use to get around within the house. Mrs. Sanchez doesn’t like to use her walker outside of the house either, and whenever you or her family members reminder her to use it, she immediately becomes embarrassed and shouts, "I don't want the neighbors to see! Especially Ms. Susana—she spread around all my business and is the last person I want to find out!" Even though she does not like to seem old, Mrs. Sanchez likes for everything in her home decor to be vintage. The lights are usually kept down low in the home because she likes the mood it creates. Her bathroom has a very low toilet and a claw foot tub that she has trouble climbing into, but she says that the look is always worth it. There are lots of old rugs in each room, which were collected from her travels across Europe and the Middle East in her younger days. Mrs. Sanchez's favorite way to spend the day is by sitting indoors watching 'her stories' on television and anything starring Van Dyke.

You have just finished taking a class on safety precautions and falls prevention and want to suggest some tips to Mrs. Sanchez. You are excited to use what you have learned to make Mrs. Sanchez's quality of life better.

Directions: Answer the following questions in at least 2 sentences each:

List at least 5 risk factors for falls that you have identified in this situation.
For each risk factor, explain what tips can be used.
How would you explain one of these fall risks to Mrs. Sanchez?

Answer 1

5 Risk factors for falls identified in this sitations and the management to be followed are:

1)Issues of arthritis where her joints would be inflammed and stiff which may cause difficulty in walking and prone for falls.

Management:

• The condition should be assessed
• Inflammed joints can be given cold compressess as it reduces the inflammation, swelling,pain and stiffness by causing vasoconstriction and decreasing the blood flow to the areas.
• Mrs.Sanchez should never be left unattened.
• Treatment regimen pescribed by the physician has to be followed.

2)Issues related to vision which can cause falls:

Management:

• Assess the level of eyesight using Snellen Chart
• Encourage Mrs.Sanchez to use glassess
• The wide frame and thick glassess can be changed according to the new attractive frame and lens.

3) Refusing to use walker can be risk of falling

Management:

• Advice Mrs.Sanchezs' to use walker or replace it with an acctractive walking stick.
• Teach her the complications of fall and safety measures by using walker or walking stick.
• Introduce to someone using walker of her age so she doesn't feel embarrassed.

4) Lights are kept down low and with issues of vision can lead to falls.

• Still lowers the vision and cause falls
• Safety is important than the feel she gets due to low light has to be explained to Mrs.Sanchez

5) Low toilets and club foot tub:

• Mrs.Sanchez has trouble climbing into has to considered by her and the low toilet and club foot tub can be modified into safer ones.
• Educating her about the risk and complications are important.

Risks about the falls:

• Educating about the risks of falls are important so Mrs.Sanchez would not be ignorant of things that causes falls like low dim light, not using walker, low toilets etc
• When she falls it can cause injury to her bones which are brittle due to oldage, which can lead to multiple fractures or head injury.
• These injuries may result in surgery and Hospitalisation which causes pain and are expensive.
• This would affect her and her family whom she is dependent on and cause her and them the trouble.
• And assure her that it does not affect her self esteem when she uses the safety measure rather than having fall and end up with complications