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Evidence-based expert: Prevent falls through risk identification

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, June 19, 2008

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This week's expert, Carole Eldridge, DNP, RN, CNAA-BC, shares some evidence-based strategies for identifying your patient's physical risk factors when instituting falls prevention.

Q: What are some physical risk factors for falls? What patient attributes should I be on the lookout for when preventing falls?

A: Two of the most frequently documented risk factors for falls are mobility problems and poor health status. Often these two factors co-exist, with poor health causing mobility problems and vice versa. The first step to reducing falls is identifying the factors that put patients at risk. Medical conditions that research has shown to increase fall risk include:

• Having more than one chronic disease of any kind
• Vascular disorders
• Neuromuscular disorders
• Sensory loss
• Lung diseases

Have a question for our evidence-based experts? Be a part of our new feature by emailing your queries to lcardarelli@hcpro.com. See your name in print and get the answers you're looking for!

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