Patient safety is a primary goal of healthcare in Germany
and an important topic in European health policy. All those involved in the healthcare system, politicians, doctors, hospitals, health insurance companies and patient representatives agree that patient safety is a guiding principle in the further development of the healthcare system.
There are various measures and programs implemented in Germany to ensure patient safety:
Medication safety:
Medication safety is an important aspect of patient safety for the elderly. Older people often take several medications, which can lead to drug interactions and undesirable side effects. To avoid this, there are various programs in Germany, such as the
medication management
which focuses on the repeated analysis of overall medication to improve drug therapy safety and adherence by identifying drug-related problems.
Fall prevention:
Another important topic is fall prevention. Older people are often at risk of falling due to physical limitations and balance problems.
For example, dehydration med.: Volumenmangel der extrazellulären Flüssigkeit, u.a. des Blutplasmas – dem Körper wird weniger Flüssigkeit zugef... can lead to reduced physical performance in senior citizens, which impairs mobility and increases the risk of falling. If older people do not drink enough fluids, they can become confused or disoriented. The lack of fluids can also lead to low blood pressure, which promotes dizziness and fainting, which also increases the risk of falling.
To minimize the risk of falling, there are various programs and initiatives in Germany, such as the
AOK fall prevention program
.
Infection prevention:
In addition to medication safety and fall prevention, hygiene and infection prevention are also important aspects of patient safety.
For example, there is also a link between the risk of infection and dehydration, as dehydration can weaken the immune system and therefore increase the risk of infection. Conversely, drinking enough means stabilizing the immune system.
Diseases can spread quickly, especially in hospitals and care facilities. To prevent this, there are strict hygiene regulations in Germany according to
§ 35
and
§36 of the IfSG
and various programs for
infection prevention
.
Interdisciplinary cooperation between medicine and nursing:
Another important factor for patient safety in the elderly is interdisciplinary cooperation between the various healthcare professions. Elderly patients often require comprehensive medical care, which is provided by various specialist disciplines. The complexity of the disease cases (keyword
multimorbidity
), caused by demographic change and the resulting focus on rehabilitation and prevention work, as well as the increasingly complex tasks of healthcare, are increasingly placing the focus on the common goal – patient orientation and patient well-being. Good cooperation and communication between the various healthcare professions is therefore of crucial importance.
Conclusion:
In summary, it can be said that patient safety in Germany is an important factor for healthcare, especially for older patients. Comprehensive medical care requires interdisciplinary cooperation and coordination between different healthcare professions as well as measures and programs that are tailored to the specific needs of senior citizens. In addition, the physical and mental well-being of senior citizens can be supported very simply by regular and sufficient fluid intake.
For those interested:
This further article
provides medical-ethical guidelines and recommendations for the treatment and care of elderly people in need of care.
It explains that old age and the need for care must not lead to the withholding of indicated measures; it offers doctors, nurses and therapists help in making decisions in difficult situations and highlights the important requirements and framework conditions for good treatment and care of older people in need of care.
