Falls among elderly individuals can cause severe injuries and other health issues as well as death in the worst cases. Maxine, a 72-years-old female, reports that she has fallen three times over the last fourteen days. The factors which put her at risk include her medication, poor vision, and age. The medicines prescribed to her include Lasix 60 mg PO twice daily and Metoprolol 50 mg PO every morning for hypertension, Metformin 500 mg PO twice daily to manage diabetes, and Percocet 1-2 tabs PO every 6 hours for relieving pain. Antihypertensive, medicines for lowering blood sugar in diabetic patients, and drugs with an opioid as an active component have such side effects as dizziness, muscle cramp, and weakness, as well as tiredness, which increase fall risks (Kernisan, 2020). Maxine notes that she has forgotten to bring her glasses to the hospital, which is an indication that she is visually impaired. She is frail and less flexible due to her age, thus being susceptible to falls when she steps on unstable objects or ground or knocks something with her feet. Therefore, she can miss steps or stumble on items and tumble.
Maxine’s safety can be guaranteed by implementing various interventions to minimize fall risks. The use of assistive devices and environmental modification can be effective ways of addressing the patient’s problem (World Health Organization, 2018). Tools such as stairlifts and walking canes will enhance her stability, preventing her from falling even when experiencing side effects of diabetes and hypertension medications. Removing the objects which can serve as obstacles and ensuring the pavements she uses in her compound have no staircases can help alleviate her falling chances. Indeed, these preventive strategies will eliminate the dangers of injuries and possible fractures.
References
Kernisan, L. (2020). 10 Types of Medication That May Cause Falls in Aging. Better Health While Aging. Web.
World Health Organization. (2018). Falls. Who.int. Web.