Falls prevention

A range of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) help assist in reducing falls including occupational therapists

These services include specific exercise programmes and safety awareness around the home. There have been reported success rates of over a 50% reduction of subsequent falls for those receiving these types of interventions.

The cost of fractures following a fall in the elderly is significantly high and is borne by both health and social care.

Key objectives for developing falls prevention services include early intervention to restore independence, preventing frailty, promoting bone health and reducing accidents, all of which involve AHPs. Occupational therapists’ interventions include:

• strength and balance training
• health and safety checks
• provision of equipment and adaptations
• practise in getting up from the floor and group training sessions

Cost benefits of occupational therapy

A fall at home that leads to a hip fracture costs the state £28,665 on average (726 million a year in total). This is 4.5 times the average cost of a major housing adaptation and over 100 times the cost of fitting hand and grab rails to prevent falls (Heywood et al 2007).

The provision of a home safety programme and exercise programme delivered by occupational therapists was found to reduce falls significantly (Campbell AJ et a, 2005).

A community based occupational therapy based falls prevention service cut the number of falls among older people by half according to evidence published in the BMJ: bit.ly/bmDGIy

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Find out more about cost savings for commissioners of OT services for older people 

References

• Campbell AJ, Robertson MC, La Grow SJ, Kerse NM, Sanderson GF, Jacobs RJ, Sharp DM, Hale LA (2005) Randomised controlled trial of prevention of falls in people aged ≥75 with severe visual impairment: the VIP trial. British Medical Journal, 2005, 331 (7520), p817-820.
• Clemson L, Cumming RG, Kendig H, Swan M, Heard R, Taylor K (2004) The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Program for Reducing the Incidence of Falls in the Elderly: A Randomized Trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52(9), p1487-1494
• Di Cumming RG, Thomas M, Szonyi G, Salked G, O’Neill E, Westbury C, Frampton G (1999) Home visits by an occupational therapist for assessment and modification of environmental hazards: a randomized trial of falls prevention. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 47(12), p1397-1402
• Monaco M, Vallero F, De Toma E, De Lauso L, Tappero R, Cavanna A (2008) A single home visit by an occupational therapist reduces the risk of falling after hip fracture in elderly women: a quasi-randomized controlled trial. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 40(6), p446–450