Care management and prevention of falls in people with cancer

Abstract

We understand nursing care management as the professional practice based on the discipline. Its objectives are to improve accessibility, coverage and timeliness through the good use of resources, clinical management and nursing care, by means of an integrated health care model. An oncology unit involves a multidisciplinary team of specialists who are responsible for the study, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of the disease. People with oncological pathologies have an undetermined time of hospitalization, which increases the risk of presenting a fall. Applying daily fall risk scales, in addition to wearing appropriate footwear, maintaining adequate physical activity, eliminating or moving any element that may alter free mobility in the room, maintaining well-lit environments and using assistive devices such as: handrails, grab bars for shower and bath, bath booster seats and resistant seats for the shower would be sufficient to prevent a fall. However, the Ministry of Health (MINSAL) suggests additional measures as a strategy to reduce the risk of falls during hospitalization in people with cancer. Despite the evidence and application of all these measures, there is no effective evidence for the prevention of falls, and the interventions to be carried out will depend on each person and the associated health risk. Therefore, the simultaneous use of all the prevention measures would help to reduce the eventuality of a fall during hospitalization