Kilian, K., Salmon, A., & Ward-Griffin, C. (2008). Perceiving falls within a family context: A focused ethnographic approach. Canadian Journal on Aging, 27, 4, 331.
This article was very informative in identifying the risks factors for falls that entailed; cognitive impairment, use of sedatives, multiple medication use, history of falls, vision disturbances, debility, weakness, and alcohol use. In addition, the article showed differing perceptions of falls within a family context. The researcher sampled 8 adults who were over 75 years and one of their adult children who was living approximately 150 kilometers away from their parents.
The adult children who were sampled to participate in the research ranged between 50-65 years. The adults who were participating in this research comprised 7 female adults and one man. Six of the adults had never experienced any falls before the study, one had a fall in the previous 12 months, and one had five to six falls in the previous year.
The results from the research indicated that older adults did not concentrate on risks prevention or did not contemplate they were at a high risk of experiencing falls. However, the adult children feared for the fall of their parents and were watchful as well as oversensitive to the risks for falls (Kilian, Salmon, & Ward-Griffin, 2008).
Although the article was successful in showing the existing difference in the perception of falls between the old and the young, the article did not show how history of falls affects one’s perception for falls which was an essential factor for this discussion.
Marschollek, M., Rehwald, A., Wolfe, K. H., Gletzelt, M., Nemitz, G., Schwabedissen, HM., Schultz, M., (2011), Sensors vs. experts – A performance comparison sensor-based fall risk assessment vs. conventional assessment in a sample of geriatric patients. Medical Informatics and Decision Making.11, 48, 10-13.
This article contained research about the performance study for fall risk in the elderly population, who are known to be at a higher risk. The article helped to shed light in determining the results for forecast performance of a modern sensor-based approach for examining fall risks in relation to conventional old methods. The researcher sampled 119 geriatric patients who were to participate in the study. The participants were assessed with selected conventional assessment tests that are used to determine fall risk.
The participants were equally examined with a help of a sensor-based measurement for fall risk. Depending on a comparison for one year period, the results indicated that the sensor scores and data were lower than or similar to the conventional methods of assessing fall risk in the elderly inpatients (Marschollek, Rehwald, Wolfe, Gletzelt, Nemitz, Schwabedissen, Schultz, 2011).
Although the article clearly indicated the performance comparison of the sensor-based fall risk assessment versus conventional assessment in predicting the risk of fall, the authors failed to indicate how these assessments can be used to recommend appropriate actions to reduce the high incidences of falls among the elderly.
Wong, E.L., Woo, J., Cheung, A.W.L., & Pui-Yi, Y. (2011). Determinants of participation in a fall assessment and prevention programme among elderly fallers in Hong Kong: prospective cohort study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(4), 763-773. EBSCOhost
The article was very essential in shedding light on the factors that influence elderly people to participate in a fall assessment and prevention program. The study comprised of a prospective cohort study that examined 1194 patients who were over 60 years on the uptake rate of a fall prevention program among elderly people as well as factors that motivate them to participate.
The study indicated that 68% of 1194 participants attended the fall program. Factors that motivated them to attend included: a safe outside environment, and ability to walk without aids the perception of falls as being preventable or recoverable and absence of chronic illness. People less likely to attend the program tended to live in nursing homes and be of lower education levels (Wong, Woo, Cheung & Pui-Yi, 2011).
The article clearly indicated the factors that determine participations in a fall assessment as well as prevention programme among elderly fallers. Nonetheless, the article did not show how those people who do not attend the programme can be encouraged to do so in order to learn about the prevention programmes they can embrace to reduce their fall rates.
References List
Kilian, K., Salmon, A., & Ward-Griffin, C. (2008). Perceiving falls within a family context: A focused ethnographic approach. Canadian Journal on Aging, 27, 4, 331.
Marschollek, M., Rehwald, A., Wolfe, K. H., Gletzelt, M., Nemitz, G., Schwabedissen, H. M., Schultz, M., (2011), Sensors vs. experts – A performance comparison sensor-based fall risk assessment vs. conventional assessment in a sample of geriatric patients. Medical Informatics and Decision Making.11,48, 10-13.
Wong, E.L., Woo, J., Cheung, A.W.L., & Pui-Yi, Y. (2011). Determinants of participation in a fall assessment and prevention programme among elderly fallers in Hong Kong: prospective cohort study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67,4, 763-773.