Falls Prevention

Referrals

If you are referred to our service we will contact you by telephone or text to discuss your referral, our services and whether you would like to opt in or out of the services we provide. The information on this page tells you all about our service and what we offer.

If we have contacted you by text you can opt in or out by replying to the text message. Once we have your decision, you will receive a further text message informing you of the next steps.

Waiting list

Once we have the your consent, you join our waiting list and we will then contact you with an appointment date to see a member of our team for an assessment – find out more about the assessment.

Appointment reminders can be sent by text the day before to you, or a family member, carer or advocate.

Whilst waiting please see our self-care resources tab for helpful information, tips and resources to help you reduce your risk of falls.

If you are referred to us, we will carry out a comprehensive falls assessment for you at home. This takes up to two hours and is carried out by one of our team – all of whom have specialist knowledge around falls prevention.

The assessment looks into your risk factors, including your home environment, eyesight, foot health, footwear, dizziness or lightheadedness (postural hypotension). Fear of falling, bone health, nutrition and continence are also discussed.

From this assessment we may decide a programme of exercise is helpful – find out about our exercise programme.

Onward referrals may also be made for support from other health care professionals if required following the assessment.

Our team offers a three month programme of strength and balance exercises known as the Otago programme. This programme is proven to improve not only strength and balance but general fitness and wellbeing.

Our exercise practitioner will take you through the exercises at your home, so you are confident to do them three times a week on your own. You will have visits every two weeks to monitor your progress and make any adjustments.

An improvement in strength and balance is usually experienced in as little as eight weeks.

If an exercise programme is recommended for you by our team, you may also find these self-care resources helpful to reduce your risk of falls.

Top tips for reducing your risk of falls

There are some simple, easy things you can do to reduce your risk of falls. Here are some tips and useful resources:

Foothealth and footwear – to stay steady on your feet it’s important to look after them and wear shoes or slippers that fit properly – see this helpful advice on Looking after your feet and wearing the correct footwear

Vision – if you wear glasses, it’s important to keep them clean and not to forget to book an eye test each year – here’s some advice from Age UK on Eye health when getting older.

Bone health – no one wants to break a bone, so as you get older, it’s important to ensure you have enough vitamin D and calcium in your diet for your bone health – here’s some useful information about Osteoporosis and nutrition for bones.

Medication – if you take medication its important to have an annual medication review with your GP or pharmacist. If you feel dizzy when you stand up, move your head from side to side and make sure you contact your GP for review. Here is some helpful information about managing your medication to prevent falls.

Home hazards – slips, trips and falls at home can be reduced by checking your home for any hazards – see these 7 Effective Ways to Reduce the Risk of Falls at Home and https://www.fallsassistant.org.uk/falls-assessment/a-safe-home

Activity – whilst you are waiting for your Falls Prevention team assessment, the video below explains why exercise is important and shares some helpful easy exercises for improving strength and balance.

Other useful resources

Age UK also has lots of useful advice about Fall prevention for the elderly.

If you have a fall, it’s important to know how to get up safely – check out the NHS website for helpful information.

Staying active and involved is important as you get older and our Well Together service provides a range of interesting, sociable, health-led activities delivered by dedicated activity volunteers. The activities are free and run across Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, in wheelchair-accessible venues adults aged 18 years or over who are independent enough to leave their home un-aided and be well enough to access an activity in the local community.

Happy, Healthy at Home – Bradford District and Craven – also has lots of helpful advice about staying active, healthy and well.

Resources for carers

If you’re caring for an elderly parent the Carents website has practical guides not just about falls but about many other aspects of care, as well as honest answers and a community of people who get it.

The local Carers’ Resource organisation supports anyone providing unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage otherwise.

Bradford Council’s Adult Social Care team also has lots of helpful information on helping people stay independent, fit and healthy, as well as getting support when you need it.

Cold weather can be challenging for older people – the video below from Age UK explains why and how you can support.

About the Falls Prevention team

Our multidisciplinary specialist team comprises specialist nurses, physical activity coordinators, a pharmacy technician and a physiotherapist. We offer expert knowledge in falls prevention, a comprehensive falls assessment, strength and balance exercises for people at risk of falls, physiotherapy support and expert advice around medicines management.

You can refer patients to our team for a falls assessment and/or falls exercise programme – see below. Please ask patients you refer to read through our web pages here for information about our services, what to expect and self help resources and encourage them to opt in or out of receiving support from the Falls Prevention team by replying to the text message we send them.

Once we have received their decision they will receive a further text message informing them of the next steps. If patient is unable to use SMS messaging or prefers not to, they will be contacted via telephone through usual format.

Referrals

Please use SystmOne for referrals to the Falls Prevention team for either a falls assessment or exercise programme. When making a referral, please refer to our falls assessment and falls exercises inclusion and exclusion criteria below. Please include in your referral:

• Recent falls history and number of falls in past 12 months if known
• Relevant past medical history
• Rockwood Frailty Score
• Whether an interpreter is required or if a carer/relative needs to be present
• Any access or safety issues we should know about, including keysafe information
• What the patient would like from our service if known
• Best contact number
• Consent/appropriate to receive and respond to SMS messages

Falls Assessment inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Ambulant older people and people over 50 at higher risk
• Registered with a GP practice in the Airedale/Bradford area.
• Rockwood Frailty score 4-6 assess at time of referral

Exclusion criteria

• Immobile / 100% wheelchair user / transfer needs – please consider referring to Adult Social Services (Moving and Handling Team) for appropriate assessment.
• People residing in a nursing bed.
• Fast Tracked / EOL / palliative patients.
• Assessment bed/ respite bed not patients permanent address.
• Falling due to alcohol and substance dependency – please consider a referral to specialist services.

Falls exercises inclusion and exclusion

Inclusion criteria

• Ambulant older people and patients over 50 at higher risk, who have fallen or are at risk of falling.
• Able to get out of a chair independently and be mobile enough to complete a few standing exercises with a chair for support.

Exclusion criteria

• Unstable angina or uncontrolled heart disease
• Tachycardia or uncontrolled arrhythmia
• Resting systolic BP>200mmHg or diastolic BP>110mmHg
• Severe Parkinson’s disease
• Severe breathlessness or dizziness
• Unmanaged pain
• Acute systemic illness (eg cancers)
• Functional limiting diseases such as severe stroke
• Impaired cognition (to the extent of being unable to follow simple movement instructions)
• People who place themselves and others at risk (Participants who are unable to monitor or modify their exercise levels or technique or follow advice).

Additional support

Equipment – for grab/ handrails, bathing equipment or equipment needs only please refer directly to Adult Social Services Occupational Therapy –  Bradford Council Contact Us or 01274 435400.

Ongoing rehabilitation or therapy – please consider referring directly to Airedale or Bradford Community Rehabilitation Teams in the usual way.

Neurological conditions – please consider referring directly in the usual way to a specialist nurse, Bradford Neurology rehabilitation team or Aire Unit, dependent on locality.

Other resources

Resources to support patients having a Structured Medication Review – The Health Innovation Network

Directory of Help and Support – Treacle – social prescribing

Well Together service – Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust volunteer led activities including walking groups

Carers’ Resource local carers organisation supporting all carers including young carers

Adult social care | Bradford Council

Happy, Health at Home – lots of ideas for keeping healthy and active