Abstract
This study explores the understanding of falls and investigates how fall prevention is managed, administrated and practiced in a Danish fall prevention program. Methods: A discourse analysis inspired by Foucault is constructed. The material consists of a field study conducted at a falls clinic including participant observations, conversations and documents.
Results and conclusion: The understanding of falls ranges from preventable and predictable accidents to natural and inevitable events. Fall prevention was managed, administrated and practiced through medical surveillance and self-surveillance, which produced and reproduced biomedical understandings of falls drawing on medical surveillance and health discourses.
Older adults were constructed as pre-patients, passive/active fall patients and responsible selfcaretakers. The study is intended to provide health professionals with a deeper understanding of the complexity of fall prevention in late life and to inspire the development of new fall prevention services.
Results and conclusion: The understanding of falls ranges from preventable and predictable accidents to natural and inevitable events. Fall prevention was managed, administrated and practiced through medical surveillance and self-surveillance, which produced and reproduced biomedical understandings of falls drawing on medical surveillance and health discourses.
Older adults were constructed as pre-patients, passive/active fall patients and responsible selfcaretakers. The study is intended to provide health professionals with a deeper understanding of the complexity of fall prevention in late life and to inspire the development of new fall prevention services.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Klinisk Sygepleje |
Volume | 30 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 114–128 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISSN | 0902-2767 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |