Presentation given by Daragh Rodger, ANP Care of the Older Adult Community, St Mary's Campus, Dublin

1. Update on Falls Prevention
Daragh Rodger
Advanced Nurse
Practitioner
Care of the Older
Adult Community
Irish Osteoporosis Society
Annual Medical Conference 2016

2. Report of the National Steering Group on
the Prevention of Falls in Older People and
the Prevention and Management of
Osteoporosis throughout Life (2008)

3. National Report
2015
Coming Soon –
Expected On a
Screen Near You
On 2nd Nov
2013
2014 2015
Irish Hip Fracture Database

4. The Irish LongitunDinal Study on Ageing
30% of over 75 year olds fell last year
1 in 5 reported a fall
1 in 10 reported an injurious fall
Prevalence increases with age
Significant impact on services and
economy

5. So What Is Happening?
• Falls Prevention and Management Services
e.g. Falls Investigation Clinics, Community
Exercise Programmes, Falls Coordinators –
Hospital & Community, Clinical Nurse
Specialists Falls Prevention
• Education Sessions & Online resources on
falls awareness and bone health
However
- Not uniform
- Local service led
- Funded out of existing resources

6. Forever Autumn Falls Prevention
Programme
• Developed & Implemented
2012
• Falls prevention programme –
increase falls awareness, falls
P & M policy, Post falls review,
falls link staff
• Adopted in many residential
care settings nationally
• Upwards of 30% reduction in
number of falls in each setting

7. Residential Care Setting
• 10% hip fractures in
residents in nursing
homes
• Osteoporosis medication
not seen as a priority
• Dr Chie Wei Fan,
Consultant Geriatrician
developed a medicine
review form

8. What’s Happening Nationally
• National falls working
group – development of
education & training
pack for all healthcare
staff – Awaiting
implementation
• National Operational
Plan 2015 & 2016 –
Priority
• National Service Plan
2017 – Priority

9. Proactive Approach to Falls Prevention and
Management
Education is key
• 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

10. Links to Web Sites
www.bonehealth.co
www.foreverautumn.co
www.happybones.ie

11. daragh.rodger@hse.ie