Sustainability Approaches to Enhancing Safety Culture in Elderly Care in Nursing Homes: Literature Review

Abstract

Background: Safety of the elderly in nursing home retirement and facilities’ health is an important issue related to quality of life and risk incidents like falls and injuries. Culture, strong safety, staff training, systems for reporting incidents, and family involvement become the main factors in reducing risk. Objectives: This article aims to study the improvement of culture about the safety of the elderly, identify the main risk factors for incidents, and evaluate the instruments and methods used in the measurement and management of the safety of older people in nursing homes, retirement facilities, and health facilities. Methods: This synthesis of 10 articles covers qualitative methods, systematic review, meta-analysis, scoping review, and observational studies. The databases used in the data search were PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The keywords used were “patient safety culture,” “falls in nursing homes,” “pressure ulcer prevention,” “safety incident reporting,” and “elderly care quality.” Results: Continuous training, improvement facilities, and systems reporting effective incidents can increase culture safety. Incident falls are often high (around 43%) due to risks such as disturbance activity, daily use of drugs, and cognitive disorders. Pressure ulcers extend the length of stay and reduce the quality of life of the elderly. Involving their families contributes positively to the quality of life and the safety of the elderly. Safety program evaluation uses survey culture, safety, and regular audits which are essential for sustainable repair. Conclusion: Culture safety of the elderly in nursing homes must be built through a multidimensional approach involving staff training, systems-integrated reporting, improved facilities, and support for families. Strong leadership and evaluation of sustainability become keys to success in creating a safe and dignified care environment for the elderly