Interventions to Promote an Environment of Safety Scenario Mr. Joe Smith is a 75-year-old male who has suffered a left cerebrovascular accident that left him with residual weakness in his right leg a

Interventions to Promote an Environment of Safety

Scenario

Mr. Joe Smith is a 75-year-old male who has suffered a left cerebrovascular accident that left him with residual weakness in his right leg and arm and right visual field deficits. The patient uses a walker for mobility. He suffers from atrial fibrillation, which he manages using Coumadin. He is a known hypertensive and takes metoprolol to manage his blood pressure.

Environmental Strategies to Reduce Risk of Injury

Mr. Joe has a residual weakness in his right leg, which alters his mobility; therefore, he is at an increased risk of falls. Mr. Joe needs assistive devices for mobility, such as walkers, canes, wheelchairs, and transfer bars (Javed & Davis, 2022). Mr. Joe’s selected assistive device is a walker. Educating Mr. Joe on the correct way to use his walker to prevent falls, conserve energy, and improve mobility is crucial. The patient’s environment must be free of blockages, such as pets, toys, and furniture that he might trip on and fall. Blockages can limit the patient’s ability to move around. The patient’s important and daily use items should be placed where the patient can easily reach them. His bed should be placed in a down position or with rails up to reduce the risk of falls. The patient’s family and friends should be educated on immobility and ensuring a safe environment that encourages mobility. The patient should be willing to follow all recommendations. Mr. Joe has right visual field deficits, which alters his perception and increases the risk of falls. The patient can use vision optical aids to improve peripheral vision (Kaur & Gurnani, 2022). He is encouraged to use sunglasses to decrease glare. The patient’s house should have adequate lighting to decrease the risk of falls. The patient’s essential items, such as the call bell and glasses, should be within easy reach. Mr. Joe’s family and caregiver can rearrange the household using bright contrasting colors to increase visual discrimination. Nurses should assess the patient’s environment for safety and the competence of the patient’s family and caregiver in maintaining a safe environment.

References

Javed, M. J., & Davis, D. D. (2022). Assisting Patients with Mobility. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559100/.