Fall prevention Resources

09 October 2024
Falls in the elderly come at a high cost, both to the NHS and to the health and confidence of the person who has fallen. Hospital-based trials in 2021 started to explore potential links between caffeine and falls associated with going to the toilet, given caffeine’s diuretic effect. In 2023, following positive trial outcomes, the project spread to social care, where a 35% reduction in falls associated with going to the toilet was seen when decaffeinated products were introduced as standard in eight care homes for the elderly. This article explores the Decaf Project and potential benefits of decaffeination in wider community settings, including for elderly people living in their own homes. It examines ways in which community nurses can support those in their care to understand potential benefits of decaffeination.
Topics:  Elderly
17 February 2023
Nobody within the health and care system needs to be told how dangerous a fall can be.
Hip fractures caused by falls are the number one source of accidentrelated deaths in older people (Department of Health [DH], 2009).

Thirty percent of older people who have a hip fracture from a fall die within a year — 20% within just four months (DH, 2009). These fractures result in a rapid loss of independence and routine that can be devastating for an individual. 
Topics:  Falls

Carol Jones discusses achieving shared goals in the use of hip protectors in residential care homes
Carol Jones SRN, SCM, HV, Health Ed Cert is Osteoporosis Prevention Officer, Dorset.
Article accepted for publication: September 2003

Topics:  Hip fracture

Kirsty Carne gives an overview of every day life for people with osteoporosis and discusses lifestyle factors and fall prevention
Kirsty Carne RGN is an Osteoporosis Nurse, National Osteoporosis Society, Bath
Article accepted for publication: July 2007

Topics:  Fall prevention