It takes a community to prevent a fall
Lead Research Organisation:
Bournemouth University
Department Name: Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
Abstract
Title: It takes a community to prevent a fall
Aim: To develop a community based, easily accessible self- referral tool to identify individuals in the community who are at risk of a fall and/or a fracture.
Vision: For each community to host self-service screening kiosks located with GP surgeries, pharmacies, libraries etc. Older adults, or their friends or family, would answer a series of questions taken from a previously validated questionnaire and be classified as Low, Moderate or High risk of a fall or fracture. All users irrespective or classification will be offered a resource package containing information and activities to maintain good balance and bone strength.
Individuals identified as moderate to high risk of a fall, will be invited to a full fall and fracture prevention health check. This assessment will by a trained fall prevention specialist. This will include muscles strength and balance assessments, bone fracture risk assessment, eyes, ears and feet assessment. Following this assessment, specific recommendations will be made as to how to lower fall and fracture risk.
Where appropriate, interventions will be offered to help to prevent a future fall and fracture. This may include an invitation to our strength and balance class and/or referral to an optician, audiologist, pharmacist or podiatrist. Where necessary, we will liaise with the health service for referral to specialist services such as home hazard assessment or the fall prevention clinic at the local day hospital or equivalent.
Aim: To develop a community based, easily accessible self- referral tool to identify individuals in the community who are at risk of a fall and/or a fracture.
Vision: For each community to host self-service screening kiosks located with GP surgeries, pharmacies, libraries etc. Older adults, or their friends or family, would answer a series of questions taken from a previously validated questionnaire and be classified as Low, Moderate or High risk of a fall or fracture. All users irrespective or classification will be offered a resource package containing information and activities to maintain good balance and bone strength.
Individuals identified as moderate to high risk of a fall, will be invited to a full fall and fracture prevention health check. This assessment will by a trained fall prevention specialist. This will include muscles strength and balance assessments, bone fracture risk assessment, eyes, ears and feet assessment. Following this assessment, specific recommendations will be made as to how to lower fall and fracture risk.
Where appropriate, interventions will be offered to help to prevent a future fall and fracture. This may include an invitation to our strength and balance class and/or referral to an optician, audiologist, pharmacist or podiatrist. Where necessary, we will liaise with the health service for referral to specialist services such as home hazard assessment or the fall prevention clinic at the local day hospital or equivalent.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Susan Dewhurst (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | This award was an initiation award for the first steps of developing a easy to access fall and fracture self assessment and intervention. The key aim and outcomes are as follows: 1. Self screening questionnaire identification. The most appropriate questionnaires were identified and digitised. Work is underway to validate this digitised versions. Pathways were identifying as to how this digitised data can be inputted in the electronic patient records systems. 2. Multifactorial risk assessment. This proved the most complex of the aims however good progress has been made. 3. Intervention development. A balance and bone wellbeing resource pack has been co-created with older adults. 4. Stakeholder trials: The digital tool went through several stakeholder trials as did the educational resource 5. Application for funding to trial the developed materials in a healthcare setting. One application was submitted to Dunhill Medical Trust which was shortlisted but unsuccessful, this is the process of being revised and submitted to NIHR |
| Exploitation Route | The grant aim was to develop a protype which has been achieved, we aim to test the feasibility of this in future projects. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |