PATIENT SAFETY AND FALLS IN THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study with the aim to investigate patient safety regarding falls in the hospital environment, as reported by elderly patients. The study was carried out with 127 elderly patients of a teaching hospital in Curitiba, Paraná, between April and July 2013. Semi-structured interviews, descriptive analyses and Fischer’s exact test were used. Results pointed that 69 individuals (55.2%) reported the absence of risks of falls in the hospital environment, 79 individuals (62.2%) reported that they were not provided with guidance regarding fall prevention, nine individuals (7%) fell during hospital stay. There was a significant association between self-reported risk of falling and dizziness when getting up from bed (p=0.026). The elderly individuals who participated in this study do not consider the hospital environment as a place where falls are likely to occur. The action of a multidisciplinary team, with different strategies and approaches, is essential to raise awareness among the elderly about the risk of falling in the hospital environment and to foster shared participation in their safety.

Keywords

• Patient safety
• Aged
• Accidental falls
• Geriatric nursing