Preventing falls this Fall

Anyone, of any age, could accidently fall over and hurt themselves. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is keen to promote safety awareness to prevent falls, whether in the community, at home or in hospital.

With the arrival of autumn, dark evenings and slippery, wet leaves on the ground, the risk of falling increases for everybody.

As the temperature drops further, many people, especially the elderly, slip on icy surfaces and may need to be treated in hospital for fractures and other injuries.

A fall can have both physical and mental consequences. After a fall, people's health may deteriorate, or they may develop complications as a result. The fear of falling prevents people from going out or taking exercise, and can leave them isolated at home.

With patients in our hospitals who are frail and vulnerable, the risk of falls must be taken seriously. To keep patients safe from harm, Oxford University Hospitals has employed a dedicated Falls Prevention Practice Educator, Aimee Taylor, to train staff in minimising the risk of injury through falling.

The key to keeping patients safe is raising awareness and training our workforce to understand the risks of patient falls, and Aimee will work with staff across wards and clinical areas to achieve this.

This staff training is part of the NHS FallSafe project, a national campaign that aims both to reduce the risk of falling and to minimise any harm to a patient, should they fall.

Aimee Taylor says "It is not only our elderly patients who might fall and hurt themselves, but younger people who are very unwell, on powerful medication that affects their balance, or who are visually impaired, or have lost a limb.

"Reducing risk doesn’t only mean changes to the hospital environment, such as better lighting, or non-slip footwear and flooring, but also focusing on our patients themselves, and their individual circumstances."

Our staff will assess patients for their risk of falling, both on admission and, if needed, regularly during their stay. They will share information about a patient’s risk with their colleagues, to ensure seamless 'joined-up' care.

Each ward and clinic area is to have a 'Falls Champion', to lead the education of their teams, highlight risks specific to that area and promote the prevention of falls to other members of staff, patients and visitors. The Trust will ensure our Falls Champions have the extra time they need to do this vital work, and the recognition they deserve for their dedication to our patients' safety.

For any information about the risk of patient falls, and for support and advice, please contact our Falls Prevention Practice Educator, Aimee, on aimee.taylor@ouh.nhs.uk. 

The NHS Choices website offers useful information on how falls, and the sometimes devastating consequences, can be prevented:

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Falls/Pages/Prevention.aspx

Falls are the most common cause of death from injury in the over 65s in the UK - let's all work to prevent falls this Fall.