Falls And Trauma Case Study

Falls and trauma is one out of the few complications in the United States that are no longer paid for by healthcare. This complication occurs mostly among the elderly population and is the common cause of injuries and fatalities. Falls and trauma can be eliminated using different prevention measures. Per the assignment instructions, this paper presents the cost of treatment, nursing measures to prevent complications and impact of non- reimbursement.

Cost of Treatment
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, millions of adults aged 65 and older fall. The outcome linked to falls, resulted in hip fractures, head traumas and early death (“Falls Among Older”, 2015). The CDC reports the total lifetime

As nurses we are taught to address infections and diseases by adopting evidence based protocols, but in regards to fall and the associated trauma there are no evidence- based bundle of practices to prevent it from occurring. Taking prevention measures does not always constitute whether the patient remains free from falls, but is used as a preliminary measure. As nurses, we are the patient’s advocates so we must intervene to provide optimal care. As a medical surgical unit, important unit measures that should be followed are: upon admission, screen patients for probable indicators of fall risk. Implement a fall risk assessment on each patient, regardless of negative screening. Following admission, periodic risk assessment should be done at each shift change and change in status of the patient. By completing the necessary assessments and obtaining subjective and objective data, helps nurses monitor the patients closely and help tailor prevention intervention based on the characteristics and needs of the

With Medicare being eliminated, mounting economic pressure has risen flooding the minds of individuals with the quality and cost of health care. Medicare covers more than 39 million Americans, and patient’s ages 65 and older account for nearly 14 million discharges from short stay hospitals annually (Kurtzman & Buerhaus, 2008). CMS calculates 490,000 claims could be paid at a lower rate under the new rule, CMS-1533-FC (Kurtzman & Buerhaus, 2008). Its estimated that Medicare will save 20 million annually in direct payments, but the impact on U.S health care costs and reimbursement is likely to be much greater (Kurtzman & Buerhaus, 2008). There is a positive correlation with non-reimbursement proven lower rates of complication and high quality nursing care. With non-reimbursement the hospitals continue to face challenges, but the positive outcomes outweigh the negative benefits to the hospital. There are strategies to address clinical complications and implementing it is an incentive to improve quality