There are arguments to support that many older people leave hospital less able to function or mobilise than when they were admitted (de Morton, Keating & Jeffs 2007). This is due to the occurrence of deconditioning, a risk for many elderly patients admitted to an acute hospital setting. Deconditioning refers to the significant decline in the functional ability of patients, and is generally associated with prolonged bed rest and immobility (Kortebein, 2008). The term is used to describe the physiological changes caused by inactivity, with virtually every body system affected (Eliopoulos, 2010), and it also incorporates functional losses in mental status, ability to accomplish activities of daily living (ADLs) and a decrease in muscle mass and strength (Gillis, MacDonald & MacIsaac 2008). Hospitalisation is often the cause of deconditioning, particularly due to the focus on bed rest in order to recover from illness, or the limited mobility resulting from surgery.
If smoking is the leading cause of one of the leading causes of death, it surprises me that people still do it. Stroke, accidents, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes are the causes of death in the middle of the list. A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. Stroke can have permanent damage on a person causing that person to lose their ability to speak or move like they used to, it can also be fatal. Accidents or unintentional injuries are getting more and more common.
The Joint Commission (2012) defines risk management in healthcare as “the clinical and administrative acts undertaken to identify and evaluate the risk of injury to staff, patients and visitors and the risk to loss of the organization itself”. Studies have shown that the litigation against nursing homes is on the rise; thus making risk management very important in day to day care. Malpractice insurance premiums for nursing homes are also on the rise; this contributes to bankruptcy and forces many facilities to operate without malpractice coverage (Weinburg M.D & Levine, 2008). This threatens quality of care and access to healthcare for ill elderly people that need round the clock care. Effective risk management in a nursing home requires one to accurately
Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Falls are a problem for most of the elderly population in the home, acute care setting, and long term care setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC;2013), there is one out of three people over the age of 65 who have fallen and suffered serious injuries and even death. This has become a problem for patients, families, and healthcare facilities that can be prevented through education and awareness of surroundings. Falls can be devastating to patients due to increased hospital stay and decreased mobility. The purpose of this paper is to discuss data associated with falls, and identify risks and prevention strategies.
Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness Nurs 440 May 27, 2013 Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness There are many types of vulnerable populations in today’s society that are vulnerable to certain illnesses or diseases. One of the most common vulnerable populations is the elderly. As the age increases most often it also corresponds with cognitive changes, specifically dementia. Chronic illnesses in the elderly increase their vulnerability and begin to be more dependent on others for assistance. Upon growing older there many choices to be made and one of the most difficult is having to place the elder person in a nursing home when he/she is no longer capable of being independent.
In addition to the general risks of surgery, there's always the possibility of issues arising due to anesthesia. In some ways, cosmetic surgery can be more challenging if the patient doesn't tolerate general anesthesia. Many of these procedures are done in surgery centers or in an operating suite in the physician's office. For most patients, this isn't a serious concern. But for the patient who becomes critically ill during surgery, being in a facility with an ICU and extensive resources for the very sick patient can make a tremendous difference in the outcome.
There are some other factors Cause changes in individual condition with similar symptoms of dementia, like depression, confusional state due to an infection (UTI/chest infections), sensory changes due to age related degeneration, reduced metabolism cause poor appetite, Osteoporosis and fear of falling. Abilities of an individual with dementia may fluctuate because of the changes to physical environment (moving home, starting at a day centre) changes to a social environment (changes in carers, loss of family or friends and social isolation, Bereavement) changes to the emotional environment ( Cares become stressed, experience of abuse) Personal changes ( changes in treatment, changes in medication) Changes in physical condition ( bacteria or viral
Sergio Siano Speech Communications 11/4/11 Sleep Deprivation Introduction Many college students and individuals are suffering from a health problem that can be more detrimental to their health than some forms of cancer. What is it? Sleep Deprivation. People are losing sleep daily, in such a fashion that most have trouble staying awake during work, driving, or even in class. Sleep deprivation is a serious medical situation that can harm your everyday life.
However, because thousands of new drugs have been developed recently, because the health care environment is increasingly complex, and because the patients are older and often sicker, there is increasing risk for medication errors in hospitals. They occur most frequently at the prescribing and administration stages. Medication errors occur in all health care systems; and often result in serious patient harm or deaths are the focus because this is an issue for most hospitals. Serious errors harm patients and expose health professionals to civil liability and sometimes-criminal prosecution (NHS Jan 2004, p.9). The statistics of medication error consistently increases in health care sector.
This fire has come unexpected to the community and has effects on the community’s hospital, senior center, school, and the Bley Household. The hospital is overloaded with patients suffering from many respiratory issues. With having so many patients that are requiring an inpatient status, this is putting pressure on the staff to have to work more hours, and pick up mandatory overtime shifts to help aid in the care of these patients. The stress of such an influx of patients is showing itself when it comes to the moral of the employees. With moral being low, the drive to work extra hours falls as well.