One person dies every five hours following a fall at home - which is why NHS East Midlands has made the prevention and treatment of falls a regional priority and is strongly supporting Falls Awareness Week 2010.
Falls are a critical issue, affecting older people in particular, with 30% of people over 65 and 50% over 80 experiencing a fall at least once a year. As part of our plans for changes to healthcare in the East Midlands over the next ten years, NHS East Midlands established a group with a dedicated role of reducing falls across the region through prevention and targeted NHS services.
For the UK this year, Falls Awareness Week (from 21st to 25th June) is about preventing falls through physical activity. Trusts in our region are already working to encourage older people to improve their health and balance through exercise but are also getting involved with the national campaign. For example in Derby, NHS Derby City and Derby Hospitals Trust have got together to hold an event at the Specialist Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre at London Road Community Hospital tomorrow (Thursday 24th June). While Leicestershire County and Rutland Community Health Services are launching their award winning falls-prevention programme, which was developed in Rutland and works with people identified as being at high risk of falling, across the county.
The dedicated regional group plans to build on the work trusts are doing to further improve services by:
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building falls prevention in to mainstream services;
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ensuring every health community* has a falls prevention and fracture liaison service which investigates localised causes of falls and looks at types of approved treatment;
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targeting home assessments to help prevent falls
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carrying out medication reviews to make sure the most appropriate support is provided on an individual basis.
It is hoped these changes and more will be in place by March 2011.
Dr Kathy McLean, Medical Director for NHS East Midlands said: “Falls are a major cause of injury in the East Midlands. We feel that establishing a dedicated group to look at the provision of falls services in our region will ensure that we produce high quality care which not only provides effective treatment but also helps prevents patients from suffering a fall in the first place.”
