ST.

PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

HEALTH TEACHING PLAN

Date: March 19,2019

Student’s Name:

Shiela Bangalando

Roscoe Mangaytay

Frances Coleen Casinto

Christy Terio

CG P. Bambo

Facilitator: Mrs. Maria Lourdes Agustin, RN

Site of Visit: (Name of the Hospital): Holy Child Hospital

Topic: Fall Precautions and Assistive Devices

 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

GOAL: After 30minutes of health teaching, the client will able to learn the basic procedure of fall precautions
and the usage of assistive devices.
OBJECTIVES CONTENT/OUTLINE TIME TEACHING RESOURCES/MA EVALUATION
ALLOTMEN LEARNING TERIALS NEEDED METHOD
T STRATEGIES
(Cognitve)
1. Identify the -Definition of fall
definition of fall and -Importance of fall 5 minutes Brief Lecture Visual Aids
importance fall prevention Question and
prevention. Answer

(Cognitve) -Spinal Injuries

2. Determine serious - Head/brain Injuries 5 minutes Picture Visual
injuries due to falls. -Extremity skeletal Identification Aids Oral Survey
injuries/fractures/lacer
ations/abrasions

(Cognitive) A.
3. Identify -Chronic health
Environmental factors conditions
that decrease falls -Impairments
risk. -Polypharmacy 10 Brief Lecture Question
-Visual Deficit minutes Visual Aids And
a. Indicate the causes -Depression Answer
of fall at home or in B.
the hospital. -Importance of
arrangement of things
b. Establish -Importance of bed
preventive measures rails
to lessen fall at home -Importance of nonslip
or in the hospital. carpets and mats
-spill wiping
-Nonslip surfaces and
grab bars
-proper lighting
-appropriate footwear
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

-Items must be within

reach

(Psychomotor) -Walker
4. Identify and -Crutches
demonstrate proper -Canes
procedure using -Grab bars 10 Demonstrative Assistive Return
assistive devices. -Non slip mat minutes Lecture Devices if Demonstration
-Bed Rails possible, but
a.Determine the pictures for
purpose of each alternative.
devices

b. Know how the

deviceworks

CONTENT

FALL PRECATIONS AND ASSISTIVE DEVICES

What is fall?
Fall is a major concern for older adults in all settings, causing significant morbidity and mortality
and affecting quality of life. In the hospital, falls occur often for older patients. Falls can cause
injury and increase hospital stays and may necessitate a long-term stay. There are many older
people died from fall-related injuries. That’s why it’s very important to put effective measures
into place to prevent fall.

What is fall prevention?

 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

Fall prevention is a variety of actions to help reduce the number of accidental falls suffered by
older people.

INJURIES DUE TO FALL

Spinal Injuries
The spinal cord is very sensitive to injury. Unlike other parts of your body, the spinal cord does
not have the ability to repair itself if it is damaged. A spinal cord injury occurs when there is
damage to the spinal cord either from falls and loss of its normal blood supply due to falling.

Injuries to the spinal cord can cause weakness or complete loss of muscle function and loss of
sensation in the body below the level of injury, loss of control of the bowels and bladder, and
loss of normal sexual function. Spinal cord injuries in the upper neck can cause difficulty
breathing and may require the use of a breathing machine, or ventilator.

Head/Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injury usually results from falling. Mild traumatic brain injury may affect your
brain cells temporarily. More-serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues,
bleeding and other physical damage to the brain. These injuries can result in long-term
complications or death.

Traumatic brain injuries at the base of the skull can cause nerve damage to the nerves that
emerge directly from the brain (cranial nerves). Cranial nerve damage may result in:

-Paralysis of facial muscles or losing sensation in the face

-Loss of or altered sense of smell

-Loss of or altered sense of taste

-Loss of vision or double vision

 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

-Swallowing problems

-Dizziness

-Ringing in the ear

-Hearing loss

Extremity skeletal injuries/fractures/lacerations/abrasions/bruises

Skeletal injuries such as fractures are very common outcomes of falling. Abrasions and bruises
are minor injuries due to fall. For seniors, fractures are the most serious consequence of
falls (short of death). The most common bones to fracture in falls are:

The hip, femur (thigh bone), pelvis, and vertebrae (spine)

The humerus (upper arm bone), forearm, and hand

The leg and ankle bones

Hip fractures cause the greatest health problems and the greatest number of deaths.
Nearly a quarter million hip fractures occur each year among people older than 50 years

One of the most serious fall injuries is a broken hip. It is hard to recover from a hip fracture and
afterward many people are not able to live on their own.

What are the Causes of Fall? (Hospital and Home)

HEALTH BASED RISK:

This includes things like balance problems, weakness, chronic illnesses, vision problems, and
medication side-effects. They are specific to an individual person.

Chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, dementia and low blood pressure

(hypotension), which can cause dizziness.

Explanation: Chronic health conditions, such as those listed above, can sometimes cause a loss
of balance, a brief loss of consciousness or fainting, or a sudden feeling of dizziness, all of which
could all contribute to a fall. Blood pressure in the elderly, which excessively drops when they
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

get up after staying in a sitting or lying position for a long period, is one of the primary causes of
falling in the elderly.

Impairments, such as poor vision or muscle weakness

Explanation: Normal changes to our bodies as we age also make falls more likely. Visual
impairment or muscle weakness may also make it more difficult for an older person to prevent a
fall. Older people may also have weaker muscles and stiffer joints, or may lose some of the
feeling in their feet and legs. They're also slower to react and may have difficulty concentrating
on more than one thing as they age.

Polypharmacy (i.e. the use of four or more medicines) increases the risk of falls, particularly
the use of sedatives, antidepressants, antihypertensive, etc.

Some medications can increase a person's risk of falling because they cause side effects like
dizziness or confusion. The more medications you take, the more likely you are to fall.

Visual Deficit
Those who reach an old age are often at risk of dealing with poor eyesight. Age related vision
problems and not wearing the prescribed glasses also lead to having problems clearly seeing
objects.

It should also be noted that older people who have glaucoma or cataracts have high risks of
experiencing falls because of their limited vision. Most seniors fall at night because their vision
problems result to being unable to get the right cues on how they should position their body.
There are even those who have a hard time standing up straight without a chair or wall that can
guide them to stay upright.

- Depression

People with depression and those taking antidepressants, especially SSRIs, are 50 per cent
more likely to fall than other older people.
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

Preventive Measures to Lessen Falls

Wear sensible shoe/ appropriate footwear

Changing your footwear as part of your fall-prevention plans is very important. High heels, floppy
slipper and shoes with slick soles can make you slip, stumble and fall. So can walking in your
stocking feet. Instead, wear properly fitting, sturdy shoes with nonskid soles. Sensible shoes may
also reduce joint pain.

Importance of organized things

Suggest furniture arrangement that provides plenty o room to walk freely. If you hold onto
furniture for balance, he or she will advise whether it is heavy enough to do that safely or suggest
alternatives. Wirings, toys and any other materials found in the floor must be cleaned and
arranged. This is very helpful and is a must when you have an elderly in your homes. Recommend
removing throw rugs or securing them firmly to the floor.

Importance of Bed rails

Aiding in turning and reposition within the bed

Providing a Hand hold for getting into or out of bed

Providing a feeling of comfort and security

Providing easy access to bed controls and personal care items

Reducing the risk of patients falling out of bed when being transported

Item must be within reach

Minimize the walking required by the elderly person by placing things that can he or she uses
within easy reach.

Proper lighting
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

Proper lighting is very important for elders to provide strong illumination to prevent slip and
strips

Nonslip surface and grab bars

Nonslip surface is one of the important for elderly to prevent slip. If the floor gets slippery from
water while showering and the elderly person does not feels steady on his feet, he should sit on
the chair or installing a grab bar for cubicle may be helpful, and allowing him or she to hold on to
it when he stand up for wash.

Importance of nonslip carpet and mats

It is commonly known that falls are one of the major deaths in elder. And it usually happened in
bathroom because of the slippery surface. In order to prevent slippery and falls, mats or rug are
very important to place it on the bathroom, to help provide some friction or dryness of the floor.

Spill Wiping
Spills are one of the most common causes of falling, not only to the elders but to all age groups.
Spill wiping is very necessary at home or in the hospital for this would prevent the client from
slipping or falling. Immediate spill wiping must be done in order to achieve a clean and safe
surroundings for the elderly.

Assistive Devices
Walkers

A walker or walking frame is a tool for disabled or elderly people who need additional support to

maintain balance or stability while walking.

1.) Basic Walker- (without wheels) this is the most common type of walker.
2.) Two-Wheeled Walkers- These are simply walkers with wheels on the front part.
3.) Rollators- This are walkers with wheels on all four legs.

Crutches
A crutch is a mobility aid that transfers weight from the legs to the upper body. It is often used
by people who cannot use their legs to support their weight, for reasons ranging from short-
term injuries to lifelong disabilities.
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

Canes Canes are

primarily used to improve balance and stability.

1.) Standard cane- A standard cane, also called a single-point cane is usually made of wood or
aluminum, and is the most widely used type of cane. Its main purpose is to improve balance by
widening an individual’s base of support.

2.) Multiple legged canes- Typically have four, though sometimes three, short legs attached to a
rectangular base at the lower end of the cane’s shaft. Depending on the number of legs, they are
referred to as quadruped or “quad” canes, or tripod or “tri” canes.

Grab Bars

The primary reason people install grab bars is for additional safety and support around their
home or workplace and is very helpful for the elders. Grab bars are mounted in specific areas of
your home or workplace, where added support is necessary. The most common area of the
house to install grab bars, is around the bathroom and more specifically, in the shower.

There are many benefits of installing stainless steel grab bars for the elderly & disabled around
your house. These include:

1. Additional Safety
2. Increased Mobility
3. Takes Pressure Of Your Joints
4. Improves Stability
5. Slip Protection

Bed Rails

Bed rails for seniors are great for those individuals who are prone to restlessness and fall out of
bed. Additionally, it can be used to safeguard patients who may need a restrictive, safety first
bed rail. Bed rails are ideal for seniors that may be at risk of falling out of bed. Truly, though, bed
rails serve the same essential purpose: protect sleepers from fall injuries.

Non slip Mat

A non-slip mat is a rubber matting that is used to prevent slips, trips and falls in the workplace.

Simply put, they are mats or rugs used in the house and most common in the bathroom to help
provide some friction or dryness. And the ultimate aim of using them is to prevent falls due to
slippery surfaces and floor tiles.
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

References:

https://www.americannursetoday.com

http://trauma-acute-care.imepub.com/injuries-sustained-by-falls-a-review.php?aid=189404

https://www.medicinenet.com/spinal_cord_injury_treatments_and_rehabilitation/article.htm?
fbclid=IwAR15jsfvJB_visv4dMznDu-RZTfsLekyj4anFn-Jcr6qIwpnTA_lujgYpEc

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-
20378557?fbclid=IwAR2WA4k6xkVvPlr77fTkYKghz3sBcWc3wb8P7UJPCuGGDsL6rQ5tc-lxTks
 ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE

6200 Dumaguete City

Philippines

College of Nursing

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?
articlekey=7774&fbclid=IwAR0y03P33KF6FAgNYKwAs-
xu0sts7tDCYQ53GP4q0lK0HTy8ogkoAvAXlA8

http://www.seniorliving.org/health/fall-prevention/2.

http://www/aafp.org/afp/2011/0815/p405.html