Environmental Modifications to Avoid Elderly Falls

Environmental modifications is a highly recommendable approach which prevents falls and injury’s from occurring. The main approach in this strategy is reducing injury and falls from recognizing and removing environmental hazards. Some hazard reducing modifications consisted of removing extension cords from the base, removing loose mats, and putting in handles on the rampart. Even though this approach is recommendable the effects are not fully established. In this clause, a written report was conducted to provide evidence to clinics, which bears out the effectiveness of environmental modifications.

The method of providing evidence was reading literature, which was 15 years of age or less. The documents he used for his research were case studies, trails, longitudinal studies, and recapitulation. From studying these documents he separated the data he collected into two different classes. These classes were broken up into institutional settings and community contexts.

The effects of the institutional settings were weak because there was a lack of validation tools for the environment, equipment, transferring techniques, and maintenance practices. Nevertheless, they were able to see that those who lived in institutional settings recommended things like increased lighting, non-slick floor surfaces, bed stabilizers, and wheelchair safety. Then Friedberg research discovered that slipper socks provided the ability to prevent falls from slipping in water as an environmental modification. Besides from the research of Healy they were able to see that the type of flooring used in the facility can reduce hazardous conditions. Such as the vinyl floors being used for falls and using carpet that prevents injury from falling.

The effects of...

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...ttings, it is important for an occupational therapist to pay attention to the impact of staffing levels associated with the amount of falls that take place and the staff's ability to adopt the recommendations. Besides, they should look at cost, cleaning issues and the type of modifications. In summation, it is authoritative for the patients to be educated about safety topics in using modifications.

From the literature researched, the writer thinks that environmental modifications along with multifactorial interventions can make a difference for falls that an elderly can receive. Still, he thinks that there should be more research done on environmental assessment tools, flooring, and effective behavioral interventions. On his last thoughts, he believes that strategies should be patient focused and environmental modifications should be developed for that individual.