Major review of falls prevention in Tower Hamlets published by Care Group
Why falls happen and how to reduce the risk of them taking place explored in wide-ranging review.
A major review into falls in Tower Hamlets has revealed the stark reality and lasting impact of falls on older people throughout the borough.
Each year, one in three people aged 65 and over in London experience a fall, often leading to a hospital admission.
The Patient Experience team at Tower Hamlets GP Care Group engaged with almost 400 people as part of the whole system review. This included residents, patients, service users, carers, healthcare workers and people in voluntary and community organisations.
The review identified a wide range of contributors to falls. These include medications to treat blood pressure, environmental risks such as e-bikes left on the pavement, to stigmas attached to being labelled as an ‘older person’ - lowering self-esteem and making falls more likely.
One older woman shared her frightening experience of falling on a bus: “I did say to him, ‘can you wait a few seconds for me to sit down’, but the way he jerked the bus…I was holding the bar, but I went down on the floor...He didn’t stop neither to ask me if I’m okay or anything.’’
The incident not only led to a hospital admission but also left her with long-term back problems which increased her fears of going out.
The review also highlighted the vital role community organisations play in helping maintain and improve people’s physical and mental health through offering exercise classes, activities and opportunities to socialise with others.
Two hospital elderly care wards were identified as using innovative ways to prevent patient falls. The first through recruiting healthcare student volunteers to provide one-to-one engagement therapeutic activities. The other uses specific zones in the ward with sensors to ensure a quick response from staff following frail patients getting out of bed.
Zainab Arian, Chief Executive Officer at Tower Hamlets GP Care Group, said: “This review reflects powerfully on the voices of our residents and service users. Their stories revealed feelings of vulnerability when going out, using public transport and being labelled as an older person. Their experiences highlight the importance of falls prevention and the actions required to support older people to remain safe, independent, and active within their communities.”
The review’s findings and recommendations provide an opportunity to turn these insights into meaningful actions. It will inform service development and improvement and enable the work of integrated neighbourhood teams to strengthen collaboration between healthcare, community and voluntary sectors. This could improve quality of life for Tower Hamlets residents, ultimately reducing delays, costs and preventing risks and hospital admissions.
