Who is this guidance for and what is its purpose? This guidance is intended for falls prevention services, i.e. Postural Stability Instructors (PSI) and Otago Exercise Programme (OEP) Leaders and the organisations, commissioners and coordinators that lead and support programmes. Its purpose is for PSIs and OEP Leaders to work effectively with virtual exercise delivery…
Dawn Skelton (LLT Director and Professor of ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University) gave a Keynote at the British Geriatrics Society Annual Conference in London on 22 Nov 2017. Her talk, entitled, Exercise for Frailty and Sarcopenia: Challenges and Opportunities, proposed that the evidence for the positive effects of exercise on muscle strength, sarcopenia…
In January 2017, the member organisations of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group (NFPCG), hosted by Public Health England, published the ‘Falls and fracture consensus statement: supporting commissioning for prevention’. This was aimed at local commissioners and strategic leads with a remit for falls and bone health and detailed key interventions, approaches to commissioning and…
New research published this week shows that FaME sessions delivered by PSIs to the general older population through primary care (not high risk fallers) for 6 months, significantly increased habitual physical activity (self reported moderate physical activity) by 15 minutes a day even a year after the intervention finishes. These sessions also significantly reduced the…
A best practice document produced by Public Health Wales gives a clear breakdown of the competencies of instructors working with older fallers in Wales, including the role of the PSI and OEP leader. Download here to read their guidance.
Document Title: Falls Prevention Exercise – following the evidence Document Purpose: To explain the research base for falls prevention exercise to give a better understanding of the programmes that have been shown to be effective in preventing falls. Target Audience: Clinical Commissioning Groups, Public Health professionals, commissioners of care services, health and care service providers,…
Stability classes help to reduce the risk of falls “I would say that since beginning the class, my balance has improved, my confidence has improved and I haven’t had a fall in twelve months. I’m also managing the duties of everyday life.” The Wrexham Strength and Balance Classes are held every week and provide training…
Last week the Royal College of Physicians published a new audit on exercise provision in falls services across the UK. Some of the findings were, unfortunately, not unexpected! This survey was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and carried out by the Royal College of Physicians’ Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEU). It…
A new set of resources is available for those of you who work in Nursing Home Settings. The good practice self-assessment is a working resource which will help staff in care homes to assess how well falls prevention and management and the prevention of fractures is being addressed in their service. It aims to provide…
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists has launched a call to action to physiotherapists – Respond to the first fracture; prevent the second. One of LLT’s Directors, Dr Dawn Skelton, contributed to the document. The document provides really useful up to date costs of fractures and falls in the UK and a case study. Click here…
