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Abstract

The study employs the "labeling" framework to study accidents among elderly patients in an acute care hospital. A content analysis of 392 accident report descriptions was conducted and 51 elderly accident victims were interviewed. In addition, case records of 39 restrained elderly patients were examined. The content analysis revealed that most descriptions contained too little information to determine whether an accident had taken place. Most patient accidents described in these reports appear to be relatively insignificant events in which patients were not injured. Patients'versions of their accidents were generally consistent with the accident report descriptions. Accidents among elderly patients appear to be associated with a cycle of stigmatization and restraint.

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Consequence of Patient Accident Reports for the Frail Elderly

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