Falls Prevention for Home Health Nurses



Description:
Falls Prevention for Home Health Nurses is sponsored by the Carolina Geriatric Education Center Consortium. Fall-related injury has become an epidemic within healthcare. However, studies have shown many falls can be prevented. The number of older adults in the United States is rising dramatically. By 2030, it is predicted that approximately twenty percent of the population in most communities will be sixty-five or older. An increasing number of older adults means an increasing number of falls.

Home care nurses are positioned to make a difference in fall rates among older adults. Before their full impact on reducing falls can be realized, it is essential home care nurses recognize why clinicians currently fail to implement evidence-based approaches to falls reduction. Some clinicians continue to think of falls as accidents that randomly occur, and therefore do not systematically assess patients for falls risk or do not consistently take action to reduce risks and prevent falls. Some falls prevention strategies are complex, requiring behavior change among patients and clinicians. A recent study by Tinetti and colleagues showed that when clinicians systematically implemented falls prevention strategies, their frequency was reduced by 10 percent.

Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
- Identify modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for falls in elderly home care patients
- Examine the strengths and weaknesses of systematic falls risk screening instruments
- Apply evidence-based strategies for reducing falls risk to older adults receiving home care

The expiration date for awarding CNE credit is 7/14/2012.

Disclosures:

• For you to print your certificate and receive continuing nursing education credit for this activity you must successfully complete the post-test with a score of 80% or better and complete the online evaluation. It is important that you keep the certificate, as it is your formal record of successful completion of the activity.
• A conflict of interest occurs when an individual has an opportunity to affect education content about health-care products or services of a commercial company with which she/he has a financial relationship. The planners and presenters of this CNE activity have disclosed no relevant financial relationships with any commercial companies pertaining to this activity.
• There is no commercial company support for this activity.
There is no endorsement of any product by the provider or NCNA associated with this activity
• This activity does not include any unannounced information about off-label use of a product for a purpose other than that for which is was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Author(s):
Eleanor S. McConnell, PhD, RN, GCNS, BC
Center of Excellence, Geriatric Nursing Education, Duke University School of Nursing
Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)
Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Target Audience:
Nurses and All Healthcare Professionals

Length: 1 Hour

Credit Type(s): 1 CNE Contact Hours (AP004-1187), 0.1 CEU, 1 Contact Hour

“Greensboro AHEC is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.”

Cost: $0.00