Care Homes

Care home residents are three times more likely to fall than older adults living in their own home.

There are many things that contribute to this increased risk including, (but not limited to):

• Frailty
• Presence of long-term conditions
• Physical inactivity
• Taking multiple medications
• Memory problems or cognitive decline
• Being in new or unfamiliar surroundings

However, in many cases taking action at the right time can actively support an individual and reduce the risk of falls and harm from falls.

The factors that contribute to a person’s risk of falling are unique to them. For this reason, it is important that the approach to managing and preventing falls in care homes is person-centred and tailored to each individual resident. Implementing successful strategies to reduce falls risk can have a huge impact on a resident’s level of independence, participation, and enjoyment in life.

This page is designed to provide information and useful resources for carers and care providers working in the community.

Guidance for managing falls in care homes

The World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management for Older Adults (2022) and NICE Guidance ng249 – Falls Assessment and prevention in older people and in people 50 and over at higher risk (2025) provide some clear and useful guidance on how best to assess for and manage falls risk for residents of care homes. This guidance is summarised below:

• All residents should be considered at high risk of falls
• A comprehensive falls risk assessment should be completed on admission to identify factors contributing to falls risk. Appropriate interventions should then be implemented to avoid falls and falls-related injuries. Factors to include can be found here
• Following a fall, an assessment should be completed in order to reassess falls risk factors, adjust the intervention strategy for the resident and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
• All staff should be offered falls prevention training
• Physical activity and exercise should be promoted to residents (when feasible and safe)
• Nutrition for residents should be optimised, including eating food rich in calcium and proteins
• Vitamin D supplementation is advised for care home residents, as most residents are deficient
• Use of physical restraints should be avoided for the purpose for falls prevention

For full guidance visit https://www.bgs.org.uk/world-guidelines-for-falls-prevention-and-management-for-older-adults-a-global-initiative and https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng249

Recording & Reporting Falls

An important part of falls prevention planning in the care home is learning from falls that have happened previously, to help reduce the risk of a similar fall happening again. Recording and reporting falls consistently is key, to allow for review and analysis of potential themes or patterns.

Things to remember when recording falls:

• Record accurately
• State fact and not what you think happened
• State who was involved
• State where the fall happened
• State the activity that was being carried out
• State what happened if observed
• State any injuries
• State any intervention
• Then what actions are you going to take to reduce the risk of them falling again?

Follow your local policy for reporting and post fall checks for your resident.

Falls Prevention & Post-Fall Management Resources

React To Falls

An excellent online training package designed specifically for staff working in care homes. The package includes educational videos, print-outs, and a phone app to help staff learn about falls risk factors and interventions to reduce them.

Visit React To Falls