Sheffield Falls Collaborative

Falls Pathway

Introduction

The Sheffield Falls Programme Team aims to establish an integrated, multi-professional, collaborative to deliver an effective ‘Team Sheffield Falls Plan’ (for the prevention and management of falls) and reduce the number of preventable falls in the community in the high-risk population of older adults, that is people with multiple long-term conditions. Supporting people to stay steady on their feet and keep well into older life allowing them to continue to achieve what matters to them.

Falls statistics

• 1 in 3 people over 65-years old, and 1 in 2 people over 80-years old will fall each year.
• 50% of hospital admissions for injury are due to falls.
• Hip fractures are the most common serious injury in older people. As a result of a fall, 30% die within 1 year and 50% never regain former mobility. (PHE 2021)

Every year older people in Sheffield fall and injure themselves sometimes severely. Often the fall results in the person needing to stay in a hospital and can permanently reduce their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Sometimes these falls could have been prevented, or the repercussions of the fall reduced with timely interventions.

It is not inevitable that as we age, we will lose our ability to stay steady and fall, there are many ways we can mitigate the risk of falls and keep healthier for longer.

Who are The Sheffield Falls Programme Team?

The programme team will work strategically with all partners in Sheffield who are involved in preventing falls, supporting services to optimise their existing offers, linking services across the pathway together and sharing best practise that has developed over the years in Sheffield.  

The programme team will report to Sheffield Falls Collaborative, a partnership board with representatives from the Council, Health and Voluntary services and the Anticipatory Care Board  (to be established Jan 2023).

People in Sheffield that fall may receive care from, preventative services, urgent services and care homes. The programme team will therefore work in partnership with the following workstreams: Urgent Care, Enhanced Health in Care Homes and the soon to be established Anticipatory Care Board, all delivering Sheffield’s Ageing Well Programme.

The programme team are currently reaching out to groups of older adults to gain their input into the programme design to facilitate a co designed review of the pathway led by the client /patient voice. To truly understand how we can support people to live well and stay steady on their feet.

Please see the links below for the programme aims and a progress update: