Falls Prevention

The falls prevention service supports older adults to address and reduce their falls risk through either:

  • community group education and activity or
  • printed educational information.

Early intervention is key.

If a falls risk is identified:

  • Ask about falls;
  • Assess the level of risk (identify the problem/s);
  • Act (refer onto the most appropriate intervention to reduce the risk).

Because falls are the leading cause of injuries to older people, the Reducing Harm from Falls programme developed the Ask, Assess, Act initiative as part of the national patient safety campaign Open for better care.

Clinical guidelines recommend routine screening for falls risk for all older people, based on evidence in cohort studies that an older person who has had a fall is at risk of a subsequent fall, and that mobility impairment, gait disorders and balance deficits are significant risk factors [1, 2, 3].

 

To refer a patient go here

For more information

The Health Quality & Safety Commission has produced four short videos. The videos highlight: 

  1. Preventing falls in hospital
  2. Staying safe on your feet at home
  3. Preventing falls in an aged residential care facility
  4. Staying on your feet in the community

To access the videos, click on button below:

Contact

E-mail: cherie.thomas@nbph.org.nz
E-mail: kim.fergusson@nbph.org.nz
Phone: 543 7838 or 543 7845

Who can access this service?

If your client is over 65 years and can answer yes to any of these 3 questions… they have a falls risk:

  1. Have you had a fall in the past 12 months?
  2. Can you stand up from a chair without using your hands?
  3. Are you doing less because you think you might lose your balance?

How to be referred

Use the Staying Independent Self-Questionnaire as a filter, so you are only progressing further if a risk is identified. This can be completed while the patient is in your wating room.
Once assessed, a referral onto falls prevention education can be accessed using the CCCC referral form.