Six Steps to Preventing Falls in Salford

‘Salford has one of the highest levels of falls in older adults’ – Six Steps to Preventing Falls

By Phoebe Tucker on 11th December 2018 in News

Six steps to preventing falls in later life training is part of the ICT age-well programme focusing on supporting older adults

Inspiring Communities Together (ICT) is a placed based anchor organisation in Salford, delivering Start-well, live- well and age-well programmes throughout the city.

The age-well programme supports older adults from 55 – 100 years old throughout Salford, there has currently been 114 people that ICT have worked with through the 6 steps training.

Salford has one of the highest levels of falls in older adults which results in hospital admission. Greater Manchester is the 6th worst city in the UK for older adults falling.

The Six Steps to preventing falls scheme has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund and will run until March 2020.

The purpose is to address the impact of falls and reduce people going to hospital.

Bernadette Elder, CEO of ICT explained:” Within our community classes we have falls exercise classes , people that are at risk of having a fall , referred by GP’s and hospitals, then at our end we work in the community field to support people with these 6 step messages, co-produced with older adults , healthcare professionals and ICT”.

“Anybody that comes to the training will know what to do if they have had a fall”

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All drivers are trained to stop safely at bus stopsTGFM is starting to work closely with ICT to prevent falls on buses throughout Salford and Greater Manchester.

Dale Tinsley from TGFM met with ICT regarding both organisations so they can work together to spread the message to older people using local public transport.

Bernadette added: “We are not a campaigning organisation , we are a collaborative organisation , wanting to work with people . We will work with the older people and with TGFM to make sure we are working on the same thing.”

Thank you Dale from @officialTfGM for coming to meet with us last week we can work together to get the 6 steps to preventing falls on buses message out to older people using public transport key message it's ok to ask the driver to wait while you sit down @salfordtogether

— ICT (@ictsalford) December 5, 2018

ICT have found that older adults are worried about the buses actually stopping as it takes them longer to get to their seat or leave the bus therefore ICT are encouraging older people through the 6 steps training to ask bus drivers to wait whilst they sit down.

Andrea Wheelan , development worker for ICT explained: ” I go on buses a lot and I have exercised my right, the driver has done that , took off safely . Ive sat down on purpose, rang the bell and tested it all out”.

Falls Prevention Training held at Critchley Cafe Swinton older people discussing the six steps to preventing falls booklet #fallstraining @ageUKSalford @salfordcvs @SalfordTogether @CritchleyCafe pic.twitter.com/HDfv4CB7LV

— ICT (@ictsalford) November 27, 2018

Fall detector pendants have been available for older adults however ICT explained that people are not using them, Bernadette emphasised:” This information has always been available but the way the hospitals present it is clinical so a lot of what we did was work with the hospital and older people to make it accessible and user friendly and then the training is about these messages”.

Bernadette added: “Its about everybody being aware that its everybody’s responsibility to try and make a difference.”

For more information: https://www.inspiringcommunitiestogether.co.uk/