Occupational Therapy Can Reduce Hospital Fall Rates
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) believes that occupational therapy can reduce the number of falls patients suffer while in the hospital or treatment facility.
The NHS reported that the cost of treating a patient after a fall is £2,600 (over $4,400AUD), and that in-hospital patient falls may account for as much as one-quarter of the £2.3 billion (nearly $4 billion AUD) total care costs associated with fall-related injuries in hospitals.
77 percent of those who sustained falls while in hospital care were 65 years of age or older. This is particularly alarming as falls later in one’s life can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life.
Occupational therapists would play a vital role in advising hospitals and treatment facilities on necessary safety improvements in their wards to ensure that patients are not put at a greater risk of suffering a fall.
The NHS feels that such interventions could help prevent thousands of falls each year, which would improve health care outcomes for patients as well as save health services resources and money.
How You Can Reduce Your Falls Risks At Home?
It’s clear that to reduce the risk of falls at home requires more than one strategy. The risk factors of falling and varied and diverse.
Be it in the hospital or in the home, an occupational therapist can help you identify and prioritise your personal action plan.
If you’re a carer, you might be interested our free webinar we ran on falls management in the home. If you’re are, send us an email and we’ll send you a copy of the presentation.
Discover How Occupational Therapy Brisbane Can Help You
Occupational Therapy Brisbane offers free phone consultation for those people who want to maintain their independence in the home.
Should you decide to use our services one of our senior occupational therapy professionals will visit your home and make recommendations about assistive devices, home modifications, falls prevention strategies and even exercises which can help you be as independent as possible in your home.
We invite you to call us today for your free assessment at 1300 783 200 or email us by clicking here.
