Citation

DiGerolamo KA, Frankenberger W, Birnbaum S. J. Pediatr. Nurs. 2022; 67: 102-106.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.pedn.2022.08.005

PMID

36084498

Abstract

PURPOSE: To explore how parents understand their children's falls during hospitalization and how they perceive hospital interventions and messaging related to fall risk and prevention. DESIGN AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore parent-caregiver descriptions of their children's falls during hospitalization. Prospective purposive sampling was used to identify eligible participants. Interviews were conducted with the parent-caregiver who was present at the time of the fall event. Themes were coded both inductively and deductively using a constant comparative method.

RESULTS: Twelve parent-child groupings participated. Three themes emerged: parental knowledge of risk, parent sense of threat to the identity of the child, and age differences in perception of level of controllability of risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Falls prevention education is usually delivered as a straightforward presentation of generic factual information about risk factors, with the assumption that families need more information.

FINDINGS from this study challenge this approach. This study indicates that parent-caregivers have fairly high levels of knowledge about children's fall risks; parent-caregiver beliefs about the controllability of falls may differ based on age of the child; finally, as has been found in previous studies of adult falls, parent-caregivers may perceive hospital falls prevention measures as a source of potential threat to their child''s already vulnerable social identity.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Involving the parent-caregiver in the fall risk assessment and collaborative development of falls prevention interventions may increase family alliance with health advice and reduce the incidence of falls in hospitalized children.

Language: en

Keywords

Fall prevention; Fall risk factors; Patient/family education