Preventing future falls: strategies for success

Falls among older people present a significant public health concern. Approximately 30% of people aged over 65 years, and 42% of people aged over 75 years, fall at least once a year (Meekes et al, 2022). Worldwide, over 37 million falls that require medical attention occur annually, resulting in nearly 646000 deaths each year. In the context of the UK, a quarter of a million fall-related emergency hospital admissions, for people aged 65 years and over, were reported in 2019–20, with two–thirds of these admissions for people aged 80 years and over, at a significant cost to the NHS (While, 2020a; Meekes et al, 2022). This cost is estimated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2013) to be more than £2.3 billion per year. Therefore, falls represent a pressing concern for healthcare professionals caring for older people, especially community nurses whose expertise, ability to leverage the therapeutic relationship and intimate access to their patients’ lives and daily routines, gives them the capacity to effect real change in this domain.