Falls Prevention

This year we have launched a dedicated falls prevention campaign that is being trialled at Longmoor House, with the focus centring around three stages: Ready, Steady, Go.

Depending on the patient’s condition, the team at Longmoor House will work with them until they can gain independence and are prepared to go home.

Ready – at this initial stage, we will focus on exercises that patients need to undertake while bedbound, to help strengthen their muscles and to improve blood flow.  
Steady – these exercises have been designed for patients once they are able to sit up in bed or stand to develop core strength.
Go – the final stage will focus on maximising mobility to prevent deconditioning. There are also vinyl footprints around the wards to create trails for patients to follow. This is to encourage independent walks and interaction with others.  

Underpinning this campaign are resources that health care professional will use with patients to support their development, with tailored stretches and exercises depending on their condition.

Ready – A5 leaflet

Steady – A5 leaflet

Go – A5 leaflet

For further information email longmoortherapy@merseycare.nhs.uk

Falls Prevention Service - Liverpool

Referral criteria: 18 years or older, registered with a Liverpool GP, Service Users at risk of falls or who have fallen, FRAT score of 4 or highers (or 3/5 with a falls history based on clinical reasoning), would benefit from an assessment in their own home (not necessarily housebound).

Exclusion criteria: Service user's diagnosed with dementia or cognitive impairment, palliative conditions, recent fractures, resident in care or nursing home.

Falls Group inclusion: As above and also: Mobile with/without walking aid (independently mobile), no cognitive impairment (can follow commands), good hearing (able to participate in group sessions, good vision (able to participate in group/exercise, continent, service users participating in heavy alcohol consumption are not suitable, self motivated/able to engage, commitment to completion of group, sufficient stamina/exercise tolerance. Pain well controlled.

Falls team consists of: Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Podiatrist, Exercise Instructor

Contact: Liverpool Community Falls Team, Lifehouse, Brunswick Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BL

Tel: 0151 296 7767

Liverpool Falls Service - Information leaflet

Liverpool Falls Service - AHP Referral form

Falls Prevention Service - Southport and Formby

Referral criteria: 65 years or older, registered with a Southport and Formby GP, Able to follow / understand basic instructions / functionally mobile / consents to referal and must be able to take part in rehabilitation programme if appropriate.

Exclusion criteria: Adults under 65 years of age, adults who score less than 2 on the falls screening tool, acute episode/exacerbation of illness that requires an acute hospital environment to deliver care needs, acute injury/trauma that requires an acute hospital environment to deliver care needs, advanced dementia patients that score 10 or less on the Mini State Mental Examination (MMSE), palliative service users, wheelchair bound, adults under the influence of alcohol/substance misuse (refer to alcohol/substance misuse), service users with a permanent impairment of the functioning of the brain as a result of a brain injury and are unable to live independently. 

Services offers: Non-urgent multifactorial falls assessments in clinic or the home environment.  Assess service users who have fallen or are at risk of falls.

Prior to referral please review and consider if the service user has recently been assessed by or currently awaiting assessment by: the falls team, north Sefton planned therapies, neuro, etc aiming to reduce duplication referrals.

Referrals via SPOA: Email: southportandformby.spa@merseycare.nhs.uk

Contact: Falls.prevention@merseycare.nhs.uk

Southport & Formby Falls Service - Information leaflet (for professional printing only)

Southport & Formby Falls Service - Referral form

Falls and Fracture Prevention Service - Knowsley

Referral criteria: 55 years or older, either with a Knowsely GP or resident in Knowsley.

Service offers: Falls assessemetns either in community clinics or home visits (depending in triage).  Wider falls prevention and education for the General public and care homes across Knowlsey.

Falls team consits of: Nurses, Pharmacist, Physiotherapist, Excercise professional, Falls assessor & falls assistant.

Contact: Knowsley.falls@nhs.net

Knowsley Falls and Fracture Prevention Service - Information Leaflet

Knowsley Falls and Fracture Prevention Service - Pop up Banner

Knowsley Falls and Fracture Prevention - Service Referral form

Falls Prevention Service - St Helens

Link to St Helens Gateway for their Falls Service Information

Out and About for Falls Prevention Week

Knowsley Falls and Fracture Prevention Service 

7 Minute Briefing: Fall in the community (W195545)

7 Minute Briefing : Longmoor House Thematic Review (2023)

7 Minute Briefing: Fall at Longmoor House (W196343), 2021

7 Minute Briefing: Fall at Longmoor House (W187662)

QPA: (January 2023) Reporting injuries to patients under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

Mangar ELK's are issued via some of the local Community equipment stores and there are also several ELKS and Camels located across the wards (Camels have a back rest).

Training on the use of ELK's and Camels is available by contacing the Manual Handling Team.

Email: Manual.Handling@merseycare.nhs.uk

Raizer chairs are used by some of the local falls prevention teams, these come in both manual (wind up) and battery operated versions.

Molift Partner 255 hoists are available on some of the Mental Health division wards.  There are currently no scoop stretchers located on the wards but training on how to use the Molift 255 hoist and scoop stretcher can be provided by the Manual Handling team.  Email: Manual.Handling@merseycare.nhs.uk

NAIF Guidance: Bedside Vision Assessment

NAIF Guidance: Lying and Standing Blood Pressure

Bedside Mobility Assessment

Falling can happen to anyone, but for older people the risk is particularly high and the consequences can be severe, including distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, loss of independence and mortality.

Falls are a common and serious health issue for older people, with around a third of all people aged 65 and over falling each year, increasing to half of those aged 80 and over (NICE 2013).

Most falls do not result in serious injury. However, there's always a risk that a fall could lead to broken bones and can cause the person to lose confidence, become withdrawn and feel as if they have lost their independence. Hospitalisation can often cause changes in a patient's ability to walk or get out of a bed or a chair and then this puts them at higher risk of a fall.

NAIF: Annual Report 2022

Coming soon

Clinicalskills.net is an online resource Mersey Care has subscribed to, this provides all clinical staff with a wide depository of clinical procedures (including over 40 seperate procedures relating to manual handling).  To access Clinicalskills.net you need to have an account.  Email: ClinicalSkillsTeam@merseycare.nhs.uk if you would like an account.

The following Clinicalskills.net procedures relate to the management of the falling and fallen person.

Practical training on the procedures below is provided by the Manual Handling training team.  Manual Handling training should be booked via the Learning and Development Prospectus.  For more information and support with practical manual handling, email: Manual.Handling@merseycare.nhs.uk

Procedure 6a: The falling person, lowering to the floor

Procedure 6b: Management of the fallen person

Procedure 6c: Recovery of the fallen person with slide sheets

Procedure 6d: Recovery of the fallen person using a Mangar Elk

Procedure 6e: Recovery of the fallen person using slide sheets and the Mangar Camel

Procedure 6f: Recovery of the fallen person using the Raizer Lifting Chair

Procedure 6g: Recovery of the fallen person using a flat lifting air mattress (Hoverjack / Flojac)

Procedure 6h: Recovery of the fallen person using a Hoist and Sling

As part of the work to achieve ‘Zero Falls in Our Care’,  Level 1: Falls Prevention training has been co-designed with the subject matter experts (SMEs) from our Divisions and through the Trust Wide Zero Falls In Our Care Group including lived experience.  It has been designed for all clinically facing staff and will take no more than 20-30 minutes to complete via e-Learning.  

This training aims to help staff learn about falls, how they can have serious consequences and what can be done to reduce falls. 

Falls can happen to anyone and they can have significant consequences regardless of age.  All staff can have a part to play in managing and reducing the risk of falls by undertaking this training, being aware of falls risks and assessing, managing and referring people to appropriate services where required.

Level 2: Falls Training has been developed to support those areas where the Multi Factorial Risk Assessment Tool process is being rolled out.  Where this is the case this training will be offered to staff champions to support the successful roll out.

Level 3: Falls Training is a more advanced training course for those clinicians who work in an area where falls prevention and management is key.  This course is just in the process of being co-developed and more information will follow once the training is available to book via the L&D Prospectus

NAIF guidance: Supporting best and safe practice in post-fall management, inpatient settings

NAIF: Post -fall decision making flow chart

Falls Prevention and Bone Health Training Package (LCC, V2)

Mersey Care Trust-wide Clinical policy: SA30 Slips, Trips & Falls Prevention and Management

NICE Guidance: (NG249) Falls: assessessment and prevention in older people and in people 50 and over at higher risk 29 April 2025

NICE Quality Standard: (QS86) Falls in older people, 2017

NICE Guidance: (CG146) Osteoporosis: assessing the risk of fragility fracture, 2017

NICE Guidance: (CG124) Hip fracture: management, 2011

NICE Guidance: (CG176) Head injury: assessment and early recognition, 2014

NICE Quality Standard: Head injury, 2014

Public Health England: Falls: applying All Our Health

PHE: National Falls Prevention Coordination Group's Falls and fracture consensus statement

PHE: National Falls Prevention Coordination Group's Falls and fracture consensus statement, Resource pack

National Osteoporosis Guideline Group: Clinical guideline for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, 2021

CSP: Falls a community approach, 2nd Edt: 2019

COT: Occupational Therapy in the prevention and management of falls in adults, 2020

NAIF: Post-Fall decision making flow chart

NAIF: Supporting best and safe practice in post-fall management in inpatient settings

Trust-wide: Zero Falls in Our Care group.

Francesca Cairns: Deputy Director of Therapies, Psychological and Allied Health Professionals

Fran is the Trustwide Senior Responsible Officer for Falls and is Chair of the monthly Zero Falls in Our Care Trust wide Falls Group.

Jason O’Flaherty: Falls and Manual Handling Coordinator

Jason is the Corporate division lead for falls and works in a Trust wide capacity, providing clinical guidance, promoting a consistant approach across the divisions and facilitating shared learning.

Mental Health Care Division: Zero Falls in Our Care group

Hannah Davies: Head of Allied Health Professionals

Hannah is the Chair of the Mental Health Care Divison Zero Falls in Our Care group and represents the division at the the Trust-wide Zero Falls in Our Care group. 

Community Care Division: Zero Falls in our care group

Danny Roberts: Head of Nursing

Danny is Chair of the Community Care Divisional Zero Falls in Our Care group and represents the division at the Trust-wide Zero Falls in Our Care group.

Secure and Specialist Learning Disability Division:

​​Matthew Savage : Head of Nursing

Matthew is Chair of the Secure Divisional Zero Falls in Our Care group and represents the division at the Trust-wide Zero Falls in Our Care group.