Economic Losses of the Nursing Home in Case of Falls and Injuries of People with Dementia

Abstract

Falls and injuries are one of the more frequent health complications in nursing home residents that increase morbidity and mortality. The consequence of falls is a lower quality of life of patients and their prolonged hospitalization, long-term rehabilitation and thus higher treatment costs. Prevention of falls and injuries is more humane and cheaper than treatment. The purpose of our research was to determine the impact of hip protectors in people with dementia on the frequency of falls and their economic viability. Twenty patients were included in the observation with participation, 12 women and 8 men. The
average age of the people involved in the research was 85.2 years. Eleven patients had a median risk score (number of points between 30 and 40) and nine patients were evaluated with high risk score (55-80 points). All included older people had a leading diagnosis of dementia. During the implementation of the research, we recorded a fall (a fracture of ribs) and slip from the wheelchair without any injuries. It can be concluded from the results that a consistent use of the hip protectors would help to prevent falls and injuries in middle- and high-risk older people. We found out that nursing homes do not dedicate enough attention to prevention of falls and injuries in residents, however, in that way they could offer a more humane, better quality and less expensive form of residence and living in the nursing home.