Determination of Risk Factors in Patient Falls

Background: Falling is a major patient safety problem that is common in hospital patients all over the world. Aim: The research was conducted as a descriptive study to determine the factors causing the falls in patients. Methods: The sample of the study consisted of 132 patients. The data were collected using the questionnaire containing the descriptive characteristics of the patients and the risk factors related to the fall, the Glaskow Coma Scale, the Hendrich II Falling Reliance Scale, and the fall recording form in which the data related to falls were recorded during the follow-up, using number and percentage calculations. Results: The mean duration of hospitalization in our study was 12.8 ± 4.87 (min = 7, max = 30) days. At 6.06% of the patients falling during the follow-up at the hospital (s = 8) had fallen. It was determined that 87.50% of the falling patients were over 65 years of age, 62.50% of them male, 62.50% of them were conscious and 37.50% of the medical diagnosis was Parkinson. It was determined that 12.50% of the patients had no bed railing or not, 37.50% of the bed height was not suitable, the special items were not in their proper distance and night illumination was not enough. Conclusion: Results of the research that 65 and over age, male sex, chronic illness, use of risky medicine, history of falling , visual and hearing impairment, inappropriate slippers (shoes) were determined as risk factors of falling