Researchers
- Fiona Cowdell
- Judith Dyson
Research Aims
Care home residents are at significant risk of falling, often related to physical frailty, cognitive impairment and certain medications. Care home residents are around three times as likely to fall compared with community-dwelling older people, equating to approximately 1.5 falls per person per year. Falls have a substantial impact on morbidity, quality of life and mortality.
Sequalae include fractures, head injuries, abrasions, lacerations, reduced mobility, loss of confidence, fear of falling and reduced independence. Falls are a common reason for emergency calls to be made, often resulting in residents attending emergency departments. To improve care and reduce ambulance call outs, the iStumble app and a lifting cushion may be used. This mixed methods study investigates barriers and facilitators to uptake of this approach.
Funder: NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (research conducted independently)
ISTUMBLE on the App Store (apple.com)
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