Falls are a leading cause of injury, loss of confidence, and hospital admissions among care home residents. With 40% of hospital admissions from care homes due to falls and ambulance call-outs costing the NHS over £41 million annually, effective prevention is a national priority.
The Action Falls programme (formerly GtACH) provides a comprehensive approach to falls prevention in care homes, including a multifactorial risk checklist, practical guidance, and comprehensive training and support for all staff.
ARC East Midlands funded research to evaluate implementation across East Midlands care homes. This work now contributes to a national implementation study led by ARC Wessex.
Key impacts:
- 43% reduction in falls among care home residents
- 1,657 care home staff trained across 57 UK care homes
- £2,227 monthly savings in ambulance call-outs alone in 50-resident care home, with potential annual NHS savings over £1 million across the UK
- Improved staff skills and confidence, with training delivered to all staff – including those not directly involved in care
- Included in the NHS England Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) framework
- Recognised as best practice for falls prevention in care homes
The Action Falls programme continues to meet high demand across the UK and internationally, helping care homes create safer environments for residents and staff.
