Implementing Action Falls in care homes: What works, and how?

What we are doing?

Identifying and understanding the skills, levers and pathways needed to facilitate the adoption and spread Action Falls as an evidence-based practice, where there is no direct influence of a research implementation team.  We will undertake a scoping review and a focus group to identify the common barriers and enablers to implementing multi-factorial interventions in care homes. The findings of these will be used to generate programme theories that will be tested and refined through semi-structured interviews with care home staff, and the content of these thematically analysed to produce guidance on the implementation of Action Falls in care homes.  

Why we are doing it?

People living in a care home can be up to 3 times more likely to fall, and 10 times more likely to suffer a resulting serious injury, than someone of the same age in their own home. The impact of falling for a care home resident is hugely significant, often resulting in fractures, skin tears, severe bruising, pain, distress, loss of confidence and independence and increased mortality.  ‘Action Falls’ has shown that taking a systematic approach to listing falls risks in care homes and completing actions to prevent them can reduce the rate of falls by up to 43%. 

What the benefits will be and to whom?

The benefits should be felt system wide. The impact of preventing falls may not be felt directly by care home residents and the staff caring for them, however they will have avoided the devastating harm and impact a fall can have on individuals. Across the system, a reduction in unplanned ambulance call outs and hospital admissions from care homes could be seen as a result of implementing Action Falls successfully. The utilization of the Action Falls toolkit will also supports collaborative working through the Enhanced Health in Care Homes programme.

Who we are working with?

We are working with care home providers and staff working in these environments. 

Contact

Emma Self, Programme Lead and PhD student, NHS England and University of Nottingham, Emma.self1@nottingham.ac.uk.