Care homes and falls prevention

Local care homes have been involved with training about falls prevention and bone health over the past years. Many have champions who are taking training back to other staff. Contact the Horizon Centre at Torbay Hospital for the next available Foundation Falls Training on 01803 656600.

An excellent resource specifically designed for care homes is the React To Falls website. It is very interactive and has videos to help all staff understand about the falls risks and interventions to reduce falls, also what is expected of homes regarding falls.

Care homes, activity and falls prevention

It is a fact that people thrive with purposeful activity. This is no different for residents in a care home. Activity can help maintain morale, self-esteem, mobility, independence, memory and motivation. Consequently it helps to reduce falls as it can stop agitation, maintain strength and balance and give purpose to an individual. The College of Occupational Therapists have produced an excellent free resource, the Activity Toolkit. It has modules suitable for families looking at care homes for their relatives, staff working in care homes and managers. Access the care homes toolkit.

Each resident should be assessed to see what level of falls risk they have and then interventions put in place and regularly reviewed to ensure that avoidable falls don’t happen.

View an example care plan completed with suggestions to reduce the risk of falls for a resident, and download a blank copy:

• Blank falls care plan for care homes
• Example falls care plan for care homes

South West Ambulance has links to useful information, particularly the post fall guidance pack for care providers.

If you feel that you have put everything in place but your resident continues to fall you can seek professional advice from the zone teams by phoning the Trust on 01803 219700.