The Prevention and Management of Falls in the Community: A Framework for Action for Scotland 2014/2015

Stage One: Supporting health improvement and self management to reduce the risk of falls and fragility fractures

Description (taken from Up and About)

At this stage:

• A person is living in the community (including care homes) with support as required.
• The emphasis is on self care, supported self management, health education and promotion.
• Support for carers may be essential to achieve positive outcomes.
• There are opportunities for early intervention if circumstances change, therefore this stage has strong links with anticipatory care.
• Many interventions and activities at this stage contribute to active and healthy ageing generally; some are more specific to falls and fracture prevention.

Actions to achieve the minimum standard for 2014/15

Action 1.1

Up-to-date information on the prevention of falls and the prevention of harm from falls is made available to older people by health and social care services.

Principles

• Information is available in departments, clinics, care homes, day care facilities waiting areas etc, and is also provided on a one to one basis by staff as appropriate.
• The information is in an understandable format suitable to the needs of the person/s receiving it (print size, language etc).
• The information includes:
  • key falls prevention messages (and where to get more detailed/further information), e.g. Age UK's Top tips for staying steady or NHS Health Scotland's Up and About. Taking positive steps to avoid trips and falls (available from Summer 2014)
  • how to access resources, local services and organisations, which aim to support:
    • the maintenance of health and wellbeing, e.g. exercise/physical activity opportunities
    • a safe home environment, e.g. care and repair services, telecare and community alarm etc
    • a safer community environment, e.g. Dial-a-bus and equivalent services.
• To ensure consistency of message, information provided on falls and fracture prevention and management is based on materials from the following sources:
• NHS Health Scotland
• Age UK and Age Scotland
• The National Osteoporosis Society
• NHS Inform

Further information

Encouraging positive attitudes to falls prevention in later life: a report for Help the Aged February 2005 Don't mention the F work, Help the Aged

Age UK http://www.ageuk.org.uk/

National Osteoporosis Society http://www.nos.org.uk/

NHS Health Scotland http://www.healthscotland.com/

NHS Inform (under development)