Falls Prevention Horizon Scanning Bulletin Volume 7 Issue 9

Strategies to prevent falls and injuries among older adults

Source: Nursing Clinics of North America, 2017, Volume 52 no 3 p. 489-497

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: September 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Falls in older adults are the leading cause of injuries, and community-dwelling older adults should have an annual fall risk screening/assessment. This article looks at both clinical and community-based strategies from several different evidence-based programs to raise awareness in older adults in the community about falls, about increasing strength and balance, and to address the fear of falling.

Length of publication: 8 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Balance and fall risk assessments with mobile phone technology

Source: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2017, online

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Date of publication: August 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: While falls are a major health concern for older adults, preventative measures can help to reduce their incidence and severity; methods for assessing balance and fall risk factors are necessary to implement preventative measures. Mobile applications are being developed to enable seniors, caregivers and clinicians to monitor risks. This systematic review assesses reviews of such apps for their accuracy, reliability and validity. Further research is needed.

Length of publication: 16 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Mobility assessments of geriatric emergency department patients: a systematic review

Source: Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine

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Date of publication: 26 July 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: The aim of this article was to determine the impact of emergency department (ED) mobility assessments for older patients on
hospitalization, return visits, future falls, and frailty.

Length of publication: 9 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

Five key factors could reduce falls in hospitals, says regulator

Source: Nursing Times

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Date of publication: 21 July 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: A report on a review based on existing evidence and data which provides an overview of the scale of inpatient falls and the benefits to the NHS if the rate of falls was reduced in hospitals.

Length of publication: One page

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Accelerometer-measured moderate to vigorous physical activity and incidence rates of falls in older women

Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 

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Date of publication: 29 July 2017

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: To examine whether moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured using accelerometry is associated with incident falls and whether associations differ according to physical function or history of falls.

Length of publication: 8 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Prevention of falls in hospital

Source: Clinical Medicine 

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Date of publication:  Aug. 2017  vol 17(4) pps. 360–2

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: This study looks at how a coordinated multidisciplinary clinical team approach can reduce the incidence of inpatient falls 20–30%.

Length of publication: 3 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

 

Public Health England publishes resource pack for falls and fracture prevention

Source: Chartered Society of Physiotherapists

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Date of publication: September 2017

Publication type: News article

In a nutshell: Public Health England has published a resource pack to accompany its falls and fracture consensus statement: supporting commissioning through prevention, published in January; the statement was developed by member organisations of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group (NFPCG) with Agile, the older people’s physiotherapy network, representing the CSP.

Length of publication: 1 page