Our Falls Care teams will be working right throughout Christmas, looking out for Herefordshire's older and more vulnerable residents should they suffer a fall. We take a closer look at the vital work they do and how it helps to reduce the strain on the NHS.
Here’s a stat that will surprise some of you, but perhaps not those with an older relative (or relatives) who live alone: Around 1 in 3 adults over 65 who live at home will have at least 1 fall a year. About half of these will have frequent falls.
It’s something many of us living distant from our older relatives worry about – what would happen if they had a fall at home? In the short term, the main problem immediately following the fall could be simply reaching the telephone to phone an ambulance. And, over the longer term, you may wonder about how to prevent another fall happening in the future and how to coordinate any further care needs, especially in light of NHS resources being stretched thinner than ever before during the Coronavirus pandemic.
For those living in Herefordshire, or with relatives in the area, our Falls Care Responder and Falls Care Navigator teams are here to help.
Falls Care Responder
A relative rushes down the stairs to answer the phone before it rings out. They miss a step, slip and fall onto the hallway floor.
Our Falls Care Responder service provides an emergency pendant alarm to those who are vulnerable to a fall in their home. The lightweight emergency pendant is activated by an easy-to-press button, putting the user straight through to our call centre. Our teams will call an ambulance if the fall is urgent and medical attention is needed. If the fall is non-urgent but still severe, then our Falls Care Responder team rapidly deploys one of their rapid response vehicles. These vehicles have everything our trained teams need to assist those who have taken a bad fall, including specialist lifting equipment, patient transfer board, and a defibrillator for cardiac emergencies.
Arriving at the scene, the Falls Care Responder team is trained to first assess the scene, contacting NHS 111 if any immediate emergency care is first required. The team then use the appropriate specialist lifting equipment to, with consent, lift the fallen individual. Besides this important practical help, our team are also trained to provide reassurance and support after what has usually been a shock. Carers, friends and family are called to attend if required.
A 3-way partnership between Herefordshire Council, Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Connexus, the Falls Care Responder service helps fallen individuals and helps to take some pressure off the already strained resources of the NHS, primarily through reducing the number of ambulance call-outs.
