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Falls Prevention

Social Prescribing and Falls Prevention

All our non-clinical social prescribing assessments include asking individuals if they have experienced a fall within the last year and looks at the reasons that this might have happened. An advisor will work with you to look at ways we may be able to reduce the risk of falls by talking through the options of support, making referrals to other professionals, and providing you with information and advice.

Fall Assessments

If you have had a fall, we may complete a separate falls assessment with you. This assessment looks more specifically at the causes of the fall for example:

·        Physical health

·        Footwear

·        Diet and nutrition

·        Continence

·        General assessment of steadiness.

Throughout the assessment, the advisor will ask questions about what support you may have in place already and discuss your options for gaining further support and advice.

What could support look like?

Some examples of how we have supported people who have been referred to us following a fall.

Case 1:

Sally was experiencing frequent falls and struggling with her mobility inside and outside of her home due to health conditions and was struggling with not being able to carry things from one room to another.

A referral was made to MY Therapy who supported Sally with increasing her strength and mobility and provided walking aids including a wheeled kitchen trolley and walking frame.

Using this equipment safely, Sally was able to sustain living independently at home and did not experience another fall for the next 9 months.

Case 2:

Michael had been experiencing falls following a stroke. He did not have any aids or adaptations in place, he was experiencing continence issues, and had not felt confident to leave the house which had led to him feeling socially isolated.

A referral was made to the aids and adaptations services who provided handrails, perching stools, and bathing aids, supporting Michael to regain some independence within the home. We asked Michael's GP to complete a continence assessment, which discovered a health condition and following treatment his incontinence improved over time. 

We also made a referral to Care Link for a falls sensor/pendant which was installed and gave not only Michael, but also his spouse reassurance and enabled them to feel safer in their home. We then supported Michael to explore local groups and activities with accessible transport to help reduce his isolation. 

Why is support for falls important?

Falls are one of the leading causes of hospital visits and injuries for older people and individuals with reduced mobility. Injuries as a result of a fall can have a detrimental impact on independence and quality of life. Research shows that looking at the causes of a fall and addressing areas of concern decreases the likelihood of experiencing another fall and should another fall happen, the risk of injury is lessened.