Every year in the UK approximately 30 per cent of those over 65 years and 50 per cent of those over 80 years experience a fall. Falls can have a dramatic impact on the health of older individuals. The serious physical injuries sustained in around a quarter of falls often lead to associated decline and further physical complications. Falls prevention frequently goes hand in hand with rehabilitation, as there are particular risks around recurrent falls and addressing the fear of falling (which can ultimately lead to loss of independence) confidence and mental health as well as further physical complications. Hip fracture in the population aged 65 and over can be used as a measure of preventable falls. As an indicator it underestimates the total prevalence of falls. However, the data allows for trend analysis and comparisons between areas to be made.
The rate in North Yorkshire reduced from 552 per 100,000 in 2010/11 to 526 per 100,000 in 2013/14 and was statistically significantly lower than the national average of 580 per 100,000. At a district level, the rate was highest in Scarborough during 2013/14.
Big Issue
As part of the process to develop the JSNA, local residents were asked to identify the big issues affecting health and wellbeing locally. A comment received about people’s concerns about falls was: “falls effect confidence and can affect mental health; they can be devastating to the individual and put extra pressure on the NHS”.
Services/Interventions/Programmes
- Reablement staff have received training in falls prevention and assessment.
- NYCC has implemented the use of a falls risk assessment for everyone having a social care assessment.
- Reviewing the care pathway Hambleton and Richmondshire (HaRD)
Unmet Need
- Comprehensive integrated falls pathway.
- Improved recording of useful falls data.
- Falls service in Scarborough/Whitby/Ryedale. (All other areas have dedicated falls prevention services.)
- The lack of a strategic approach has resulted in local variations in the response to falls and falls prevention.
- The links with health regarding falls is different in each area, resulting in differences in outcomes when a health intervention is needed.
- To establish where falls occur so that a more targeted approach could be taken to falls prevention.
Download the data here:
https://hub.datanorthyorkshire.org/dataset/jsna-data/resource/3d609d88-51e8-4bda-9d31-e5ab6c9370db
Author: Claire Lawrence
Date published: 16/03/2016
