Elderly Fallers Care Pathway
Care pathways are good ways to ensure good service delivery and ensuring that the patient’s or service user experience is good. For example in a care pathway for elderly fallers, care improvement was enhanced by implementation of four service changes.
1. Referring of non conveyed fallers to their GP. Previously they were being referred to falls or to a local community team. When referred, the GP would make the decision on whether to refer them to a community service.
Referring them to their GP is a good option since they are used to them and they have a good relationship thus they will be able to handle the situation in a better way.
2. A falls decision tree was developed to help in management of elderly fallers.
The decision tree will act as a guide for the healthcare providers. This will enable them implement their knowledge and skill to tend to the fallers.
3. A training program that supported the development of the decision tree and it provided the staff with a greater knowledge and understanding of issues affecting patients.
This kind of a program is good especially because it widens the knowledge of the healthcare providers. It will also enable them to improve their working conditions and conduct.
4. Finally creation of a referral support team that provided a robust, accountable, replicable and easy to use system for referral. This will enhance and improve the collaborative and inter-professional energy.
