Author: Alison E While
Affiliation: 1 Emeritus Professor of Community Nursing, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London; Fellow of the Queen's Nursing Institute.
Conference/Journal: British journal of community nursing
Date published: 2020 Jun 2
Other:
Volume ID: 25 , Issue ID: 6 , Pages: 288-292 , Word Count: 129
PMID: 32496859 DOI: 10.12968/bjcn.2020.25.6.288
Abstract
Falls among older people are a major public health challenge, because the sequelae of falls can be severe, both in terms of mental and physical health repercussions. Building on an earlier article that discussed the reasons why older people fall, this article describes the interventions that may help reduce falls among older people. Four interventions which could be applied within UK community settings, namely, the Otago programme, the falls management exercise programme, tai chi and home assessment and modification are outlined here. District nurses are well placed to contribute to a reduction in falls among older people by identifying those susceptible to fall risks among their clients and putting in place the necessary interventions to minimise them.
Keywords: Balance; District nursing; Falls; Prevention; Tai chi.