Talk to elderly about falls, NICE advises

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that routine appointments with family doctors can prevent falls, disability and loss of independence for the elderly.

Statistics show that around 255,000 older people are admitted to hospital in England each year due to falls, with figures showing that approximately 30 per cent of those aged 65 and over will fall at least once a year.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at NICE, said: “We know that prevention is better than cure when it comes to falls, particularly in older people. Asking older people about falls on a regular basis will identify those who are most at risk. Through this simple intervention, those people can then be referred to the right health care professional or service to stop them falling in the future.”

An updated NICE quality standard sets out best practice for health and social care professionals in preventing falls. It calls for people aged 65 and over to be regularly asked questions about whether they have fallen over in the last year or feel unsteady on their feet. This can be through doctors at hospital or during home visits by social care workers.

Dr Victoria Welsh, GP and specialist committee member, said: “This quality standard prioritises the need to identify those at risk of falls, and assess and manage their associated factors so that we can prevent falls from happening in the first place.”