Research studies test if a new guide does reduce falls in care homes?

Fall rates in care home residents are 5 times more frequent than in community dwelling adults. Major mortality and morbidity are associated with falls, with some bone damage and deaths being irreversible consequences.

Hip fractures alone cost over 1 billion pounds per year; set to double by 2050. Community falls prevention interventions reduce falls by 30%, but care home literature to date has reported no conclusive reduction in falls. Since compliance and adherence to fall prevention methods may be lower in cognitively impaired groups, the high prevalence of cognitive impairment in care home residents (84%) may explain the lower success. When devising a fall prevention intervention for use in the care home setting length of stay, target group and careful selection of content is needed.

Read more: http://enrich.nihr.ac.uk/newsitem/research-studies-test-if-a-new-guide-does-reduce-falls-in-care-homes