Bringing Awareness to the Community for Prevention Falls, Essay Example

Health care policy

The healthcare partnership identified in my community is a fall prevention action group consisting of business owners, code enforcement officers, public health nurses and municipality leaders. Falls occur at home, in the community and in health care settings. The prevention of falls is very important since a law suit could follow (Center for Disease Control, 2015). There were no real obstacles to establishing the desired program. Each member of the partnership was very optimistic about the part they had to play and success of this program. The goal was to ensure that the city streets are safe and fall free. There are many hazards on streets in the communities. They include skins, water and objects carelessly placed on sidewalks.

In implementing this program a group from the public health department was assigned to conducting inspections at certain times of the day in designated areas for one month. This was a research as well as an actual prevention technique. It was meant to determine potential dangers such as broken mains and seepages on sidewalks. Tripping on water is a main cause for falling in public places (Maynard, 2006). Once these danger zones were identified measures were taken to correct the irregularity. A follow up was conducted assigning work gangs from the city to periodically inspect these areas and others designated potentially dangerous. Subsequent remedial work was conducted

The second portion of this project are fall prevention seminars sensitizing business owners about the importance of protecting themselves from law suits by complying with public health regulations regarding construction codes and use of wet floor signs when water spills occur. Simultaneously, caregivers’ workshops were organized targeting persons caring for the elderly relatives in their homes. This was conducted to educate them about fall prevention techniques.  Here is where nurses were used individually and coactively in as educators.

References

Center for Disease Control (2015).Preventing falls among older adults. Retrieved on December 3^rd 2015 from http://www.cdc.gov/features/olderamericans/

Maynard, W. (2006). Preventing Outdoor Same-Level Slips, Trips and Falls. Retrieved on December 3^rd, 2015 from http://ehstoday.com/ppe/fall-protection/ehs_imp_43291