THE CARER | DEC 21/JAN 22 | PAGE 25
Falls in Care Homes Can be Significantly Reduced with Intervention, says New Study The largest study of care homes in the UK, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that a co-ordinated approach to fall prevention in care homes is effective in significantly reducing the number of times residents fall. The ‘Falls in Care Homes study’ (FinCH), led by Professor Pip Logan and experts from the School of Medicine, Centre for Rehabilitation and Health Care Research, tested a new approach called the ‘Guide to Action to prevent Falls in Care Home’ (GtACH) programme, which was designed by a collaborative group including care home staff, and families. The study, published today in the BMJ, was conducted across 84 care homes in 11 different areas of England and included over 1,600 residents over a three-year period. The team found that the GtACH programme reduced the rate of falls by over 43% compared with residents who did not receive the intervention. There was no adverse effect on residents’ mobility or independence and most importantly, the treatment was found to be cost effective and fell well within the cost-thresholds set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for treatments to be funded through the NHS. Falls are very common in older people living in care homes and are associated with a high risk of injury, admissions to hospital and significant cost to healthcare systems. Although fall prevention interventions have been shown to be effective in other settings, previous systematic reviews suggested that the benefits were uncertain in care home residents. Experts at Nottingham developed the GtACH programme in collaboration with care home staff and residents to devise a set of guidelines in
and training enable the care home staff to achieve this by taking action such as introducing smoothies, having more fruit juice on offer, providing appropriate crockery, making soups, and making an event of coffee time. Overall, the training and resources increase both awareness and knowledge about the management of falls. Professor Pip Logan from the Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research at the University was one of the lead authors of the study. She said: “‘The falls prevention programme significantly reduces the chance of falling over for people living in care homes and is cost effective. This research is the largest care home study completed in the UK and the team included academics, care home residents, families, care home staff, social care and NHS employees, a truly interdisciplinary UK trial. “By preventing falls, the FinCH programme could improve quality of life and save lives, whilst also saving NHS and social care providers money, that can be reinvested into high quality care for older people.” the form of a 33 point checklist with a list of 33 associated actions that care home staff can use to reduce the risk of falls among their residents. The programme includes one hour of training for all care home staff (including gardeners, caretakers, cooks, cleaners, managers) in small groups, delivered by a falls specialist. A manual summarising the GtACH programme is left in the home after training and includes resources such as a falls incident chart (to detect patterns) and a medication falls risk chart. Once trained, staff are expected to use the GtACH risk assessment and guide to action checklist with all residents. For example, the assessment might highlight that a resident is dehydrated and the recommended action is to increase fluids. The manual
Victoria Rayner, CEO of the National Care Forum, said: “Preventing falls is one of the key priorities within all care homes. This research will support managers and staff to work with people receiving care and support to minimise the risk of falls, whilst continuing to prioritise activity and independence. The timing of this could not be better, as it coincides with the publication of the Government White Paper on Adult Social Care reform, People at the Heart of Care. The White Paper incorporates a strong focus on reducing falls, and this research will ensure that care providers can have immediate access to support this aim, using resources produced through research carried out in partnership with care home managers.”
Sutton Care Home Dedicates Prestigious Industry Award to Late Friends The Cherry Tree, a four-bed residential care home in Sutton, Surrey which supports adults with autism and challenging behaviour, has been named as the winner of The Care Home Team Award in the Great British Care Awards. Manager Nicki Miller nominated the home because of the team’s resilience during COVID and in memory of two people they supported who died in the last two years. The award citation stated: The team have shown a fantastic morale and that caring is everyone’s responsibility no matter the role. The consistency is brilliant and the compassion they have for not only their service users but also their colleagues, shows exactly how they all kept going throughout the pandemic. Nicki Miller said: “I nominated The Cherry Tree for a number of reasons. As a staff team, we have been through some extremely challenging times, including the loss of two very dear friends. The team have pulled together so well supporting each other and our individuals to
maintain as much normality and consistency as possible. “My team showed that together we are stronger and that working towards common goals we can encourage our guys to achieve. One aim for our team is to enable our individuals to be the best they can be and to have the most fulfilling life as possible. “We are extremely lucky to have amazing support from the individual’s families who have been with us every step of the way during the difficult times.” John Godden MBE, CEO of Salutem Care and Education, said: “On behalf of the whole Salutem family, I’d like to congratulate Nicki and the team at Cherry Tree for this extraordinary recognition. “They’ve been a fantastic support to each other in times of adversity and the award is well deserved. I wish them the best of luck for the national finals.”
Covid Warrior Arlene Honoured by the Philippines Ambassador A “coronavirus warrior” who appeared in a hard-hitting TV documentary about the pandemic has been honoured by the Philippines ambassador to Britain. Arlene Elano, the long serving deputy manager of Pendine Park’s Bodlondeb Care Home in Summerhill, Wrexham, is originally from the Philippines. She was astounded to find herself having lunch with the top Philippines diplomat in Britain, Antonio M Lagdameo after a London VIP screening of the documentary in which she featured. The in-depth two-hour film, Kontra Corona, focuses on huge challenges faced by expatriate Filipino frontliners in Europe and their families during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. Arlene, 49, was interviewed by the documentary makers who filmed her outside Bodlondeb centre of excellence for dementia and mental health care. They showed how she and fellow staff, including numerous colleagues from the Philippines, worked tirelessly to protect residents. Arlene was among Filipino health sector workers from across Wales and England invited to attend the exclusive screening headed by Rose Eclarinal, who executive produced and presented the film. She was introduced to the Filipino ambassador who congratulated her for doing the Filipino community in the UK proud. She was also presented with a commemorative certificate. Arlene said: “I had not realised we would be meeting such top dignitaries. I thought we were just going to watch the film so I was completely unprepared for anything else. It was such a surprise to discover we would be having lunch with the ambassador. I felt so honoured.”
The celebratory occasion coincided with a second achievement for Arlene who has also been jointly awarded a 2021 Semmelweis accolade by Pendine Park care organisation in recognition of her exceptionally high standards of hygiene. In the documentary Bodlondeb is highlighted for its remarkable work. Arlene describes to the interviewer how one of the first measures introduced at Bodlondeb was to install external hand-washing facilities to ensure everybody would wash their hands prior to entering the homes. She said: “This was in place before we were instructed to do so by the Government.” Staff also changed clothes on arrival and followed an elevated regime of strict hygiene protocols. Holding high her two awards certificates, she said they are a tribute to all her colleagues who have worked selflessly and courageously through the pandemic. She said: “I will dedicate these two awards to the whole team of Bodlondeb and the Pendine Park care organisation. They are part of the process, and together as a team we deliver quality care, we follow our training and embrace every new day as an opportunity to better the provision of care for our residents. “The team around me have been determinedly fighting a war against the invisible enemy during the height of the Covid pandemic. “Our manager Ann Chapman continuously supports us and encourages us to put all our heads together and decide how any helpful ideas that protect us all can be implemented.”