HOMEFIRST%20FALLS%20PREVENTION%20TRIAL

1
HOMEFIRST FALLS PREVENTION TRIAL

• LEESA HOUSTON
• SENIOR HEALTH PROMOTION OFFICER
• YVONNE CARSON
• SENIOR HEALTH PROMOTION OFFICER

2
THE PROBLEM OF FALLS

• Falls represent the most frequent and serious
  type of accident in the over 65 age group
• (Help The Aged 2003)

3

• Falls are the most common reason for admission to
  residential care
• (Help The Aged 2003)

4
PROJECT OUTLINE

• Consultation with senior management
• Identified Pinewood Residential Home Ballymena,
  John McAuley (Manager) and Lisgarel Residential
  Home Larne, Andrew Jamison (Manager)
• Project to last 3 months
• 10-12 clients at high risk of falling identified,
  consented to participate in the project

5
AIMS OF THE FALLS PREVENTION TRIAL

• To use a multi-faceted approach to Falls
  Prevention within 2 Homefirst Residential Homes
• To raise awareness amongst staff of the risk
  factors for falls

6

• A multi-faceted approach to Falls Prevention was
  adopted as recommended by the NICE Guidelines
  (2004)
• (National Institute for Clinical Excellence)

7
COMPONENTS OF THE MULTI-FACETED APPROACH

• The Introduction of a Falls Risk Assessment
  Screening Tool
• Falls Prevention Training for Staff
• Medication Review
• Eyesight Assessment
• Tai Chi

8
COMPONENTS OF THE MULTI-FACETED APPROACH CONT.

• Foot Care Training and Referral to Podiatry
• The use of Hip Protectors
• Provision of Home Safety Aids
• Poster Presentation

9
THE FALLS RISK ASSESSMENT SCREENING TOOL

• It is used to identify older persons at risk of
  falling
• Devised by A Regional Group of Physiotherapists
  and Occupational Therapists

10
CRITERIA USED IN THE TOOL

• Age
• Gender
• History of falls
• Present level of functional mobility
• Balance
• Footwear
• Visual problem identified
• Medications
• Mental State

11
FALLS PREVENTION TRAINING FOR STAFF

• In House
• The aim of the training was to raise awareness of
  the risk factors for falls and offer a
  multi-factorial approach to preventing falls

12
MEDICATION REVIEW

• Bairds Chemist in Ballymena
• McFarlanes Chemist in Larne
• With a view to reviewing the participating
  clients medication and replacing or withdrawing
  those medicines
• which increased the risk of
• falling

13
EYESIGHT ASSESSMENT

• Free eye tests were carried out by Optomise

14
TAI CHI

• Tai Chi promotes strength and increased
  flexibility of the muscles and joints, as well as
  improved balance in clients who are at risk of
  falling

15

• Body Health (Terence and Isabel Barnes)
• 12 week Tai Chi Course
• In both homes
• With the identified clients
• Each session to last 1 hour
• 2 or 3 staff from each home were selected to
  participate in Tai Chi Leaders Training
• The staff received 12 X 30 minute training
  sessions

16

• The Tai Chi exercises used in the trial were
  specifically developed for use in these homes and
  in relation to the Falls Prevention Programme

17
FOOT CARE TRAINING AND REFERRAL TO PODIATRY

• Staff each received a 45 minute basic foot care
  awareness training session from Paul Hutchinson
  (Homefirst Podiatrist)
• Referrals to Homefirst Podiatry were made where
  necessary

18
THE USE OF HIP PROTECTORS

• Hip Protectors are designed to help prevent hip
  fractures for those at risk of falling
• Hip Protectors were supplied to each home for use
  with clients who were at high risk of falling
• Training in how to use them by Safehip
  representative

19
PROVISION OF HOME SAFETY AIDS

• Touch Lamps
• Long-handled shoe horns

20
POSTER PRESENTATION

• Aim was to involve family and friends of clients
  to generate an overall interest and awareness of
  falls prevention issues.

21
RESULTS

• Both homes have started to use the Falls Risk
  Assessment Screening Tool for all newly admitted
  clients
• There is a need for improved recording and
  reporting of falls

22
RESULTS CONT.

• Medicines management and eyesight assessment are
  two systems that work well in the homes
• Both homes found Tai Chi innovative and
  enjoyable. Clients benefited in terms of
  improved strength, balance and mobility when they
  attended all the sessions.

23
RESULTS CONT.

• Apart from improvements in mobility one manager
  commented on the social enjoyment aspect, story
  telling aspect very therapeutic
• 4 members of staff achieved their Leaders
  Certificate
• 32 staff were trained in falls prevention and
  evaluation following the training was positive
• Many staff were unable to attend the training
  sessions

24
RECOMMENDATIONS

• More training on the Falls Risk Assessment Tool
• Clearer definition of what constitutes a fall
• Further work recording falls
• Tai Chi offered in other units
• In order to benefit from Tai Chi clients must
  attend the sessions as frequently as possible

25
RECOMMENDATIONS CONT.

• Bodyhealth noted that for future projects initial
  selection of staff to be trained as Leaders in
  Tai Chi is of great importance
• Falls prevention training should be carried out
  annually
• Member of staff trained up in Falls Prevention
  issues in each home.

26
CONCLUSION

• At the end of the project both managers felt the
  trial had been worthwhile and that they had taken
  a positive approach to preventing falls within
  their homes.