Contact us

The team are available 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Falls Service

We are a small team of highly qualified, experienced falls practitioners and falls technicians who:

  • provide individual assessment and treatment for clinically complex people who have recurrent falls
  • provide long term falls prevention exercise programmes (Otago) for people that are independently mobile, have had an injury following a fall, have a history of 1 to 2 falls over the past 12 months
  • hold clinics every month at most community hospitals
  • provide multifactorial falls analysis, treatment may include level 3 medication review, bone health review, gait and postural stability programmes, while always promoting healthy lifestyles and safety at home
  • integrate with many teams that deal with falls and injuries
  • provide bespoke teaching on falls prevention for all sectors
  • provide clinical advice and support; consultation and advice are available on a case-by-case basis

Our aim is to work collaboratively with people who fall to reduce the risk of injury and maximise their ability to stay steady by ageing well.

Referrals

Referrals are welcomed from healthcare professionals. Complete a referral form.

Many services are involved in falls management, our criteria are a person over the age of 50 with 1 of the following:

  • clinically complex person who has recurrent falls, who has had a multi-factorial falls risk assessment completed, interventions actioned and remains at risk
  • upper limb fragility fracture following a fall and history of 2 or more falls in the last 12 months.

Exclusion criteria

  • Less than 50 years of age.
  • More than 1 blackout or temporary loss of consciousness in the last 12 months.
  • Pathological fracture.
  • Where an underlying condition is the main cause of the falls, for example, neurological condition, advanced cognitive impairment.
  • Falls secondary to alcohol or substance abuse.
  • Where needs are better met by another service, for example where a person is experiencing a health (or health and care) crisis and care or support is required within 2 hours to prevent hospital admission. An urgent crisis responder will visit a person at home (including a care home) within 2 hours to assess, provide urgent treatment and implement a care plan if required.
  • Where a person require reablements, there is a short term programme to improve a person’s ability to live independently, reduce the necessity for an increase in package of care, or to reduce the requirement for a bed-based care provider such as a care home or community hospital. Individuals will receive an assessment within 2 days of referral to determine their ability to participate in reablement.

Referrals for a 2-hour urgent crisis response or 2-day reablement are made via STRATA. If you do not have a Strata log-on, make a web-referral. Mark 2-hour referrals as a 'red referral’

Eldercare consultant falls clinic

If someone requires a medical consultation, please use the Referrals Management Service (RMS) to refer to the eldercare consultant falls clinic.

Referral criteria

  • Age over 60 with 2 or more falls in the past year.
  • Unexplained falls.
  • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo like symptoms if not settling or other unexpected symptoms.
  • Falls associated with dizziness or blackouts.