Falls

Falls and fall-related injuries are a common and a serious problem for older people.

People aged 65 and over are at the highest risk of falling and prevention from falling continues to be a challenge for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the wider community.

The human cost of falling includes distress, pain and injury, loss of independence, social isolation and mortality. Falling also affects family members and carers of people who fall.

Surveys were carried out among staff and stakeholders in each of the three settings in September and October 2017. The responses received have helped build an Island-wide ‘where we are now’ baseline to guide future policy decisions, and have been benchmarked against both NICE recommendations and the West Midlands Quality Review Standards (WMQRS).

The report concludes that there is much good practice at Noble’s Hospital and other inpatient units such as Isle of Man Hospice, where the majority of current guidelines for falls management and prevention, set by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), are met. The majority of respondents routinely assessed patients at risk of falling, considering factors such as visual and cognitive impairment, mobility problems, medication, balance and having a history of falls.

Falls Report

A review of the Island’s falls provision based on best practice – January 2019