Introduction The Morse Fall Risk Assessment is used to identify risk factors for falls. It is most important to identify and plan care for risk factors, but the total score may also be used to predict future falls. This tool takes less than three minutes to complete and is administered by a registered nurse. It is combined with a clinical assessment and review of medications to assess the patient’s risk for falls. The tool should be administered at least once a day and also if there is a change in patient status. The tool takes six different things into consideration, history of falling, secondary diagnosis, ambulatory aids, IV therapy, gait and mental status. If the patient has a history of falls or has fallen during present hospital admission,
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(2011), falls are the most common, but unintended injury in adults aged 65 and older. Falls often result in severe injuries, fear of additional falls, social isolation, decreased quality of life, increased need for care, and death (Taylor et al., 2012). Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall in hospitals, and 30-50% result in injury (Joint Commission, 2015). According to Korp et al. (2012), 28% to 35% of older adults older experience at least one fall a year. Every year 2.8 million older adults are treated for fall injuries in the emergency department and over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized due to a fall injury (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Unfortunately, about half the people in the older adult population who sustain a serious injury relating to a fall will die within one year of the fall (Zavotsky et al., 2014). Falls with serious injury are among the top 10 sentinel events reported to the Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event database, which has 465 reports of falls with injuries since 2009, with the majority of these falls occurring in hospitals (Joint Commission, 2015). An increasing number of older adults fear falling and therefore limit their activities and social engagements, which can result in further physical decline, depression, social isolation and feelings of helplessness. There are many risk factors, especially in a hospital, that makes a patient more susceptible …show more content…
There should also be team-based success factors, which would include guaranteeing falls risk assessments, investigating fall incidents, confronting issues and accountability. There should be frequent discussion of patient fall risks, as well as reviewing medications and including action plans after a fall occurs. This communication should be reliable Fall risk assessment should be standardized and always include using an assessment tool to determine whether or not the patient has fallen within the past year, a functional assessment test and an injury risk assessment. A visual identification system for at risk patients should be implemented and there should be interventions to increase observation. Finally, it is necessary that there is reliable communication across
(2011), falls are the most common, but unintended injury in adults aged 65 and older. Falls often result in severe injuries, fear of additional falls, social isolation, decreased quality of life, increased need for care, and death (Taylor et al., 2012). Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall in hospitals, and 30-50% result in injury (Joint Commission, 2015). According to Korp et al. (2012), 28% to 35% of older adults older experience at least one fall a year. Every year 2.8 million older adults are treated for fall injuries in the emergency department and over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized due to a fall injury (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Unfortunately, about half the people in the older adult population who sustain a serious injury relating to a fall will die within one year of the fall (Zavotsky et al., 2014). Falls with serious injury are among the top 10 sentinel events reported to the Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event database, which has 465 reports of falls with injuries since 2009, with the majority of these falls occurring in hospitals (Joint Commission, 2015). An increasing number of older adults fear falling and therefore limit their activities and social engagements, which can result in further physical decline, depression, social isolation and feelings of helplessness. There are many risk factors, especially in a hospital, that makes a patient more susceptible …show more content…
There should also be team-based success factors, which would include guaranteeing falls risk assessments, investigating fall incidents, confronting issues and accountability. There should be frequent discussion of patient fall risks, as well as reviewing medications and including action plans after a fall occurs. This communication should be reliable Fall risk assessment should be standardized and always include using an assessment tool to determine whether or not the patient has fallen within the past year, a functional assessment test and an injury risk assessment. A visual identification system for at risk patients should be implemented and there should be interventions to increase observation. Finally, it is necessary that there is reliable communication across