The Important Job of Preventing Falls in People with Dementia

The Important Job of Preventing Falls in People with Dementia By Esther Heerema, MSW September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month. Did you know that nursing homes have to use a process called "root cause analysis" to determine why a resident fell? The point of this process is to prevent additional falls if at all possible. Understanding common causes of falls in dementia is particularly important, especially if the person's ability to communicate is impaired.      12 Questions to Ask the Doctor after a Diagnosis of Alzheiemr's  Often, it's when you get home that you start to process information about a new Alzheimer's diagnosis more thoroughly, and the questions begin. Here's a list of questions you may want to bring with you at your next doctor's visit.    READ NOW Why? Why? Why? Root Cause Analysis of Falls in Dementia  If you have a loved one in a nursing home and they've had a fall, the staff there are required to conduct a "root cause analysis." Root causes analysis means that we as caregivers have to look deeply at what really triggered the fall so that we can do our best to prevent a repeat fall. Here's how the process of root cause analysis works..   READ NOW 10 Things People with Dementia Want You to Know  If people with dementia shared their thoughts and feelings with us, these 10 things might be some of the many things they'd point out.   READ NOW Common Causes of Falls in Dementia  People with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are more than three times more likely to fracture their hip when they fall, which leads to surgery and immobility. The rate of death following a hip fracture for those with Alzheimer's is also increased. Thus, fall prevention for people with dementia is critical. One way to reduce falls in people with dementia is to understand why they fall. These common causes, while not all-inclusive, are to blame for the majority of falls.   READ NOW The Dangers of Hip Fractures in Dementia  People with dementia are at a higher risk of falling, and they also have an increased risk of fracturing their hip when they do fall. While broken bones can heal, hip fractures do present several dangers to older adults who are living with Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia.   READ NOW What Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers Wish They Had Known  Perhaps you've heard the phrase, "What you don't know can't hurt you." While that may be true some of the time, it's not always accurate in Alzheimer's disease. I've worked with thousands of people impacted by Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, and there are definitely things that, as caregivers, they wish they would have known earlier about dementia.  READ NOW Advertisement READ THESE NEXT Understanding Lung Cancer Understanding Asthma Understanding Type 2 Diabetes Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis How Resilient Are You? How Well Do You Know the Freudian Defense Mechanisms? Quiz: How Assertive Are You? 15 Questions You Should Be Able to Answer About Psychology Research Methods AN ABOUT.COM BRAND You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Alzheimer's & Dementia newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 © 2016 Verywell.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.