Falling Behind! A collaborative approach to better bone health and falls prevention

1. Falling Behind!
A collaborative approach to better
bone health and falls prevention
Daragh Rodger
ANP Care of the Older Adult Community,
St Mary’s Hospital
Anne Spencer RN, BA (Hons), MSc
Educational Technologist, PETAL

2. Overview of Presentation
Importance of :
• Bone health
• Falls awareness
• Falls reduction, prevention &
management
In order to :
• Reduce unnecessary injuries
• Reduce unnecessary suffering
• Reduce financial costs
• Promote healthy active ageing
through education

3. Report of the National Steering Group on the
Prevention of Falls in Older People and the
Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis
throughout Life (2008)
• Falls main reason for attendance at A&E
departments
• 75% of all injuries are as a result of a fall
• Falls and falls related injuries cost in
excess of €404 million per annum
• Fractures are the most common injury
• Hip fracture is the most serious bone
injury
• Fractures as a result of osteoporosis
• Osteoporosis is on the increase with our
ageing population
• Osteoporosis is treatable and preventable

4. Incidence of Hip Fracture in Ireland
Fact
• 16 trauma centres in Ireland
• 3000 + hip fractures a year
• Cost: €35million for inpatient care
• Irish Hip fracture Database since
2012
• 2nd
Annual Report due 28th
Feb, RCSI
(Ahern, E & Brent, L. 2013)

5. IOF: Incidence of Hip Fractures
http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-and-statistics/hip-fracture-incidence-map

6. Hip Fractures in Context

7. Role of Education Technology

8. • Pragmatic Approach to Design &
Delivery Using Differing Web 2.0
Tools
• Accessibility is key
• Open Access – staff, families, carers
and the public
• Available on Mobile Devices /
Differing Platforms
• Bite Size Nuggets of Learning
• Limited budget
Animoto – Online Video Creation
Tumblr Blogging Tool
Box Cloud File Storage Software
QR Codes & Augmented Reality
SlideshareArticulate E AuthoringVideo HostingBlogger

9. Development of an online COP to offer support,
guidance and continued education in falls
prevention and management across the care
spectrum for older adults:-
• Acute Hospital Care
• Community Care
• Intellectual Disabilities Care
• Palliative Care
• Residential Care
We are seeking a proactive collaborative
approach to falls prevention by providing a
platform for continuing engagement
www.foreverautumn.co

10. Poster Campaign 2013
Prompt patients to ask
about screening for
osteoporosis and will be
placed in key patient
waiting areas:-
•A&E departments
•Fracture Clinics
•Outpatient clinics
•GP surgery’s
•Health centres
10

11. Reactive V Proactive
• System failure – too late to react
at point of hip fracture
• Screening - fracture liaison services
currently very poor nationally
• 50% of those who suffered a hip fracture
in one site had history of previous fracture
with no bone health interventions (O
Connor et al 2013)
• Is falls prevention on the agenda???
• Currently national group working
towards the implementation of the 2008
strategy
Education
• Bone health – lifelong process need
to educate all ages
• Increase falls awareness –
potential for falls
• Falls prevention and reduction
across all care settings
• Goal is to reach as many as we
can in the most cost effective way

12. Visit our web sites and contact us for
more information
daragh.rodger@hse.ie
aspencer@petal.ie
www.bonehealth.co www.foreverautumn.co
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