Falls Injury Paper

In reviewing this patient, she is 78 years old, lives alone and is able to care for herself with minimal assistance. Risk factors associated with her age and medical conditions are falls or injury, depression, and inability to successfully perform ADL’s. Falls/Injury
As a result of the physiological changes associated with age and polypharmacy many geriatric patients are at a higher risk for falls. Falls greatly increase morbidity and mortality in the geriatric population and unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of death. Many patients that live alone are at a higher risk for falls. Repeated falls and instability are common precipitators of nursing home placement (Ham et.al., 2014).
This patient has several chronic conditions that make her more likely to fall. She has osteoporosis and neuropathy. Both of these conditions can be linked to frequent falls. Also, she takes several …show more content…
It is a common misconception that depression is a normal [part of the aging process, but this is not true. Depression affects so many aspects of a person’s life. It is also common for people with depression to have increased pain and disability. Risk factors for depression in geriatrics can include chronic illness, loss of a loved one and medication side effects. This patient is positive for all of these risks. Although the patient is at high risk for developing depression, she is not currently exhibiting any signs to the effect. Her PHQ-9 score was a four and she has denied any feelings of being down, depressed or hopeless. Since the loss of her husband is so recent, she may not have fully absorbed the change. She is currently taking both an opioid and a benzodiazepine daily, which greatly increases her risk for developing